Hardly any U.S. towns see harsher January nights than Rafter J Ranch
Expect July afternoons of about 78°. Its July afternoons stay fresher than in 96% of U.S. towns. Warming shows here too: 0.9° more than in 1901–2000, led by March. Comfortable outdoor weather, highs of 77–78°, belongs to July and August.
A year in Rafter J Ranch at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Rafter J Ranch’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Rafter J Ranch’s place in Wyoming beside it.
What a year in Rafter J Ranch feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
A freeze is possible in every month
About 236 nights a year fall to 32° or below, and 35 to 0° or below. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Jackson, WY, 4 miles from the town’s center, 130 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Rafter J Ranch’s center in zone 4b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −21°. 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 78 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Jackson, WY, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 22 inches a year; December is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 116 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Rafter J Ranch
Nearly all of the work is heating: a normal year has almost no cooling days. Months averaging under 55° run from September through June.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Jackson, WY.
Living with Rafter J Ranch’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
Zone 4b, and frost can come in any month. The longest frost-free stretch in half of years is about 46 days.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: July and August. 1.4 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Rafter J Ranch from natural hazards, avalanches are the largest share (89%). Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Rafter J Ranch and its neighbors
South Park has the coldest January nights next door (6°, 2° colder) and South Park the hottest July afternoons (81°, 3° warmer). Differences under a degree are within what the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Rafter J Ranch’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rafter J Ranch, WY | 8° | 78° | 22" | 78" |
| Ashland, WI | 6° | 78° | 31" | 74" |
| Kingsford, MI | 5° | 80° | 29" | 61" |
| Estes Park, CO | 11° | 79° | 19" | 118" |
| Hermantown, MN | 2° | 77° | 31" | 90" |
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value. Snow and frost-free days come from the nearest weather station, so neighbors often share them.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Rafter J Ranch averaged 0.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+3.1°).
A smaller shift than in 82% 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 Rafter J Ranch compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Rafter J Ranch’s place among Wyoming’s.
Rafter J Ranch weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Rafter J Ranch’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Jackson, WY. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 27° | 8° | 2.3" | 19.1" | 12 | 10° – 26° |
| February | 32° | 10° | 2.0" | 15.6" | 10 | 15° – 27° |
| March | 40° | 18° | 1.8" | 9.2" | 9 | 24° – 35° |
| April | 49° | 25° | 1.8" | 4.2" | 9 | 31° – 41° |
| May | 60° | 33° | 2.1" | 0.6" | 11 | 40° – 51° |
| June | 69° | 39° | 1.7" | 0.0" | 10 | 49° – 59° |
| July | 78° | 44° | 1.1" | 0.0" | 7 | 53° – 67° |
| August | 77° | 43° | 1.2" | 0.0" | 8 | 56° – 63° |
| September | 68° | 36° | 1.5" | 0.1" | 8 | 49° – 55° |
| October | 53° | 27° | 1.7" | 2.0" | 9 | 32° – 45° |
| November | 37° | 17° | 2.0" | 11.0" | 10 | 20° – 33° |
| December | 27° | 8° | 2.6" | 16.4" | 14 | 13° – 23° |
| Year | 51° | 26° | 22.0" | 78.2" | 116 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. January swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 10° to 26°. September is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Rafter J Ranch’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 Rafter J Ranch’s center.
- Snow: Jackson, WY.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Jackson, WY, 4 miles from the town’s center, 130 ft higher; 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 Rafter J Ranch’s climate
What is the weather like in Rafter J Ranch?
A typical July afternoon reaches 78°, a January night drops to 8°, and about 78 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 96% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 96% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Rafter J Ranch in winter?
January nights average 8°. About 236 nights a year reach 32° or below and 35 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 10°.
How much snow does Rafter J Ranch get?
About 78 inches in a normal winter at Jackson, WY, most of it in January.
How hot does it get in Rafter J Ranch?
July, with a typical high of 78° and a low of 44°. About 5 days a year reach 90° (Jackson, WY).
When is the first and last frost in Rafter J Ranch?
There is no reliable frost-free season: at Jackson, WY, every month has nights at 32° or below, about 236 a year. In half of years the longest stretch without a freeze is about 46 days.
What growing zone is Rafter J Ranch in?
Zone 4b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −21°.
What is the best time of year to visit Rafter J Ranch?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), July and August. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Rafter J Ranch getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 82% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Rafter J Ranch.
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.