Ranchettes’ winters are colder and snowier than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 85°, a January night drops to 16°, and about 65 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Ranchettes at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Ranchettes’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Ranchettes’ place in Wyoming beside it.
What a year in Ranchettes feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 141 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 12 and the first by October 1. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Cheyenne, WY, 5 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Ranchettes’ center in zone 5b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −13°. 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 65 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Cheyenne 2.0 E, WY, falls mostly in April. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 16 inches a year; May is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 96 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Ranchettes
95% 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 Cheyenne, WY.
Living with Ranchettes’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
141 frost-free days in zone 5b. The last frost comes by May 12 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Oct 1.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, August and September.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 29% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Ranchettes from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Ranchettes and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Ranchettes in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Ranchettes’, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ranchettes, WY | 16° | 85° | 16" | 65" |
| Livingston, MT | 17° | 85° | 14" | 63" |
| Doney Park, AZ | 17° | 86° | 16" | 52" |
| Colorado Springs, CO | 17° | 86° | 18" | 55" |
| Pocatello, ID | 19° | 87° | 15" | 64" |
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 Ranchettes averaged 2.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+4.5°).
A bigger shift than in 92% 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 Ranchettes compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Ranchettes’ place among Wyoming’s.
Ranchettes weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Ranchettes’ center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Cheyenne 2.0 E, WY. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 41° | 16° | 0.4" | 5.0" | 5 | 21° – 34° |
| February | 42° | 17° | 0.6" | 9.9" | 7 | 23° – 36° |
| March | 50° | 23° | 1.1" | 9.3" | 6 | 29° – 44° |
| April | 56° | 28° | 1.9" | 11.6" | 10 | 36° – 48° |
| May | 65° | 38° | 2.6" | 6.0" | 13 | 45° – 56° |
| June | 78° | 47° | 2.2" | 0.0" | 9 | 57° – 67° |
| July | 85° | 53° | 1.9" | 0.0" | 11 | 64° – 74° |
| August | 83° | 51° | 1.4" | 0.0" | 10 | 63° – 71° |
| September | 74° | 43° | 1.5" | 0.1" | 7 | 53° – 64° |
| October | 61° | 31° | 1.1" | 5.9" | 7 | 37° – 52° |
| November | 48° | 22° | 0.7" | 7.2" | 5 | 25° – 43° |
| December | 40° | 16° | 0.6" | 9.7" | 6 | 20° – 33° |
| Year | 60° | 32° | 15.8" | 64.7" | 96 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 25° to 43°. August is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Ranchettes’ 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 Ranchettes’ center.
- Snow: Cheyenne 2.0 E, WY.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Cheyenne, WY, 5 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 Ranchettes’ climate
What is the weather like in Ranchettes?
A typical July afternoon reaches 85°, a January night drops to 16°, and about 65 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 79% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 52% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Ranchettes in winter?
December nights average 16°. About 170 nights a year reach 32° or below and 8 reach 0° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 20°.
How much snow does Ranchettes get?
About 65 inches in a normal winter at Cheyenne 2.0 E, WY, most of it in April.
How hot does it get in Ranchettes?
July, with a typical high of 85° and a low of 53°. About 15 days a year reach 90° (Cheyenne, WY).
When is the first and last frost in Ranchettes?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 12 and the first fall frost by October 1, about 141 frost-free days, at Cheyenne, WY.
What growing zone is Ranchettes in?
Zone 5b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −13°.
What is the best time of year to visit Ranchettes?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), June, August and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Ranchettes getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 2.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 92% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Ranchettes.
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.