Hardly any U.S. towns collect less precipitation than Owl Creek: 10 inches a year
High summer brings afternoon highs near 87°. Only 77° separates winter nights from summer afternoons. Its January nights bite harder than in 94% of U.S. towns. The outdoor season, with highs of 74–78°, runs through June and September.
A year in Owl Creek at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Owl Creek’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Owl Creek’s place in Wyoming beside it.
What a year in Owl Creek feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 110 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 29 and the first by September 17. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Thermopolis 21wnw, WY, 8 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Owl Creek’s center in zone 5a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −19°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
90° days by month
Average days at 90° or more
About 10 inches of rain a year
May is the wettest month and January the driest.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Owl Creek
96% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from October through May.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Thermopolis 21wnw, WY.
Living with Owl Creek’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
110 frost-free days in zone 5a. The last frost comes by May 29 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Sep 17.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June and September. 27 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Owl Creek from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (76%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 5%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Owl Creek and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Owl Creek yet.
Temperatures and precipitation come from NOAA’s 5 km grid; snow and day counts from the stations named on this page.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Owl Creek averaged 1.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+4.1°).
A bigger shift than in 66% of U.S. towns.
Change by month
The two periods overlap (1991–2000 is in both), which makes the gap a little smaller than it would be between separate periods.
How Owl Creek compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Owl Creek’s place among Wyoming’s.
Owl Creek weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Owl Creek’s center. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 36° | 9° | 0.2" | 15° – 29° |
| February | 39° | 13° | 0.3" | 17° – 34° |
| March | 50° | 22° | 0.6" | 27° – 43° |
| April | 57° | 30° | 1.1" | 38° – 48° |
| May | 67° | 39° | 2.1" | 47° – 58° |
| June | 78° | 47° | 1.3" | 56° – 67° |
| July | 87° | 54° | 0.8" | 62° – 76° |
| August | 85° | 52° | 0.6" | 63° – 72° |
| September | 74° | 42° | 1.0" | 53° – 62° |
| October | 59° | 31° | 0.9" | 37° – 51° |
| November | 45° | 19° | 0.3" | 21° – 40° |
| December | 35° | 10° | 0.4" | 14° – 28° |
| Year | 59° | 31° | 9.8" |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 21° to 40°. August is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Owl Creek’s numbers come from
Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. How TownRatings reads climate data →
- Temperatures and precipitation: NOAA’s gridded 1991–2020 normals for the 5 km cell at Owl Creek’s center.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Thermopolis 21wnw, WY, 8 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height; the nearest station that passes our checks for distance, height and agreement with the grid.
- Growing zone: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map, 2023. USDA Agricultural Research Service and PRISM Group, Oregon State University, prism.oregonstate.edu/phzm, accessed 8 Oct 2026.
- Then and now: NOAA’s gridded normals for 1901–2000 at the same cell.
- Storms and extremes: FEMA National Risk Index (expected annual losses to buildings).
Common questions about Owl Creek’s climate
What is the weather like in Owl Creek?
A typical July afternoon reaches 87°, a January night drops to 9°. Colder January nights than 94% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 60% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Owl Creek in winter?
January nights average 9°. About 207 nights a year reach 32° or below and 18 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 15°.
How hot does it get in Owl Creek?
July, with a typical high of 87° and a low of 54°. About 15 days a year reach 90° (Thermopolis 21wnw, WY).
When is the first and last frost in Owl Creek?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 29 and the first fall frost by September 17, about 110 frost-free days, at Thermopolis 21wnw, WY.
What growing zone is Owl Creek in?
Zone 5a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −19°.
What is the best time of year to visit Owl Creek?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), June and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Owl Creek getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.6° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 66% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Owl Creek.
Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000; USDA/PRISM 2023 hardiness zones; FEMA National Risk Index. Today’s forecast: National Weather Service.