Photo: Vasiliymeshko · CC BY-SA 4.0Rawlins is among the driest of U.S. towns: 10 inches of precipitation a year
Nights in January average 13°. Expect the heaviest rain or snow in May and the lightest in January. In January, nights here are colder than in 89% of U.S. towns. Keep the boiler serviced for the months from October to April, which average under 50°.
A year in Rawlins at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Rawlins’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Rawlins’ place in Wyoming beside it.
What a year in Rawlins feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 105 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by June 1 and the first by September 15. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Rawlins Muni Airport, 1.9 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Rawlins’ 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 Rawlins
97% 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 Rawlins Muni Airport.
Living with Rawlins’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
105 frost-free days in zone 5a. The last frost comes by Jun 1 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 15.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, August and September. 13 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Rawlins from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (40%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 35%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Rawlins and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Rawlins 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 Rawlins averaged 1.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+4.2°).
A bigger shift than in 71% 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 Rawlins compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Rawlins’ place among Wyoming’s.
Rawlins weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Rawlins’ center. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 31° | 13° | 0.5" | 13° – 30° |
| February | 34° | 14° | 0.5" | 18° – 31° |
| March | 45° | 22° | 0.7" | 26° – 41° |
| April | 53° | 28° | 1.3" | 34° – 47° |
| May | 64° | 36° | 1.6" | 43° – 54° |
| June | 76° | 44° | 0.9" | 54° – 66° |
| July | 84° | 52° | 0.7" | 61° – 72° |
| August | 82° | 49° | 0.7" | 61° – 69° |
| September | 72° | 41° | 0.9" | 52° – 61° |
| October | 57° | 31° | 0.9" | 36° – 51° |
| November | 42° | 21° | 0.6" | 18° – 40° |
| December | 32° | 13° | 0.5" | 16° – 27° |
| Year | 56° | 30° | 9.7" |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 18° to 40°. August is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Rawlins’ 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 Rawlins’ center.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Rawlins Muni Airport, 1.9 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 Rawlins’ climate
What is the weather like in Rawlins?
A typical July afternoon reaches 84°, a January night drops to 13°. Colder January nights than 89% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 57% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Rawlins in winter?
December nights average 13°. About 192 nights a year reach 32° or below and 15 reach 0° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 16°.
How hot does it get in Rawlins?
July, with a typical high of 84° and a low of 52°. About 15 days a year reach 90° (Rawlins Muni Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Rawlins?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by June 1 and the first fall frost by September 15, about 105 frost-free days, at Rawlins Muni Airport.
What growing zone is Rawlins 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 Rawlins?
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 Rawlins getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.7° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 71% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Rawlins.
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.