Photo: Montanabw · CC BY-SA 4.0Powell sits near the bottom of U.S. towns for precipitation, with 7 inches a year
The depth of winter brings overnight lows near 11°. Its January nights bite harder than in 93% of U.S. towns. Compared with 1901–2000, the average now sits 1.8° higher. Plan time outside for May, June and September, when highs sit at 67–78°.
A year in Powell at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Powell’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Powell’s place in Wyoming beside it.
What a year in Powell feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 123 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 19 and the first by September 20. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Powell Fld Stn, WY, 1.0 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Powell’s center in zone 5a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −18°. 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 11 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Powell Fld Stn, WY, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 7 inches a year; May is the wettest month and December the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 57 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Powell
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 Powell Fld Stn, WY.
Living with Powell’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
123 frost-free days in zone 5a. The last frost comes by May 19 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 20.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June and September. 1.9 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 44% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Powell from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Powell and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Powell yet.
Climates most like Powell’s, farther away
TownRatings’ own comparison of NOAA 1991–2020 normals, not a NOAA product: places of 5,000+ at least 150 miles away, one per state, closest on January low, July high, precipitation and snow.
| Town | Jan. low | July high | Precip. | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Powell, WY | 11° | 87° | 7" | 11" |
| Shelley, ID | 14° | 87° | 11" | 15" |
| Zuni Pueblo, NM | 16° | 89° | 11" | 10" |
| Vernal, UT | 9° | 90° | 9" | 20" |
| Montrose, CO | 15° | 90° | 10" | 22" |
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 Powell averaged 1.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.9°).
A bigger shift than in 80% 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 Powell compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Powell’s place among Wyoming’s.
Powell weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Powell’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Powell Fld Stn, WY. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 33° | 11° | 0.2" | 2.6" | 3 | 5 | 11° – 33° |
| February | 38° | 14° | 0.2" | 1.8" | 3 | 4 | 12° – 38° |
| March | 50° | 23° | 0.3" | 1.7" | 3 | 1 | 27° – 44° |
| April | 58° | 31° | 0.7" | 0.8" | 6 | 1 | 39° – 50° |
| May | 67° | 41° | 1.4" | 0.1" | 9 | 0 | 49° – 59° |
| June | 78° | 50° | 1.2" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 57° – 70° |
| July | 87° | 56° | 0.7" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 61° – 76° |
| August | 85° | 53° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 64° – 73° |
| September | 74° | 44° | 1.0" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 55° – 65° |
| October | 59° | 32° | 0.7" | 1.1" | 5 | 1 | 37° – 52° |
| November | 44° | 21° | 0.3" | 1.6" | 3 | 1 | 21° – 41° |
| December | 34° | 12° | 0.2" | 1.5" | 3 | 2 | 13° – 28° |
| Year | 59° | 32° | 7.4" | 11.2" | 57 | 14 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 12° to 38°. May is the most reliable, staying within 10°.
Where Powell’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 Powell’s center.
- Snow: Powell Fld Stn, WY (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Powell Fld Stn, WY, 1.0 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 Powell’s climate
What is the weather like in Powell?
A typical July afternoon reaches 87°, a January night drops to 11°, and about 11 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 93% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 61% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Powell in winter?
January nights average 11°. About 191 nights a year reach 32° or below and 20 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 11°.
How much snow does Powell get?
About 11 inches in a normal winter at Powell Fld Stn, WY, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 14 days a year.
How hot does it get in Powell?
July, with a typical high of 87° and a low of 56°. About 24 days a year reach 90° (Powell Fld Stn, WY).
When is the first and last frost in Powell?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 19 and the first fall frost by September 20, about 123 frost-free days, at Powell Fld Stn, WY.
What growing zone is Powell in?
Zone 5a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −18°.
What is the best time of year to visit Powell?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Powell getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.8° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 80% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Powell.
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.