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Fort SteeleFort Steele · Photo: JERRYE & ROY KLOTZ MD · CC BY-SA 3.0
Climate in Sinclair · NOAA 1991–2020 normals

Few U.S. towns get less rain and snow than Sinclair: 9 inches a year

Nights in January average 12°. Seasons differ by 73°, from the coldest nights to the warmest afternoons. Its January nights bite harder than in 91% of U.S. towns. Keep the boiler serviced for the months from October to April, which average under 50°.

Colder January nights than 91% of U.S. towns#16 coldest of 32 in WY
Drier than 98% of U.S. towns#5 driest of 32 in WY
All WY rankings →

A year in Sinclair at a glance

Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.

Jan32°12°
Feb35°14°
Mar46°22°
Apr55°28°
May65°36° Wettest
Jun77°44° Last frost ~Jun 12 days 90°+
Jul85°51° 9 days 90°+
Aug83°49° 4 days 90°+
Sep73°41° First frost ~Sep 151 day 90°+
Oct58°30°
Nov now43°21°
Dec33°12°

What stands out about Sinclair’s climate

Compared with towns across the U.S., with Sinclair’s place in Wyoming beside it.

A normal year

What a year in Sinclair feels like

Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.

Winter
33° / 13°
Snow is rare
Spring
55° / 29°
Last frost around Jun 1
Summer
82° / 48°
15 days reach 90°
Fall
58° / 31°
First frost around Sep 15
Best months to be outsideJunAugSepHighs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more
Frost, heat & the growing season

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, 5 miles from the town’s center, 150 ft higher.

192
nights at or below 32° in a normal year
8th most of 32 in Wyoming
More freezing nights than all but 128 U.S. towns
15
nights at or below 0°
14th most of 32 in Wyoming
More nights at or below 0° than 91% of U.S. towns
15
days that reach 90°
7th fewest of 32 in Wyoming
Fewer 90° days than 61% of U.S. towns
0
days that reach 100°
None in a normal year
5aUSDA zone
Plant hardiness zone 5a

The 2023 USDA map puts Sinclair’s center in zone 5a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −20°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.

Freezing nights by month

Average nights at or below 32°

30
JFMAMJJASOND

90° days by month

Average days at 90° or more

8.8
JFMAMJJASOND
Rain & snow

About 9 inches of rain a year

May is the wettest month and December the driest.

9"
Rain + melted snow a year
5th driest of 32 in Wyoming
Drier than 98% of U.S. towns

Rain + melted snow by month

Inches of water

1.5"
JFMAMJJASOND
Heating & cooling

Heating and cooling a home in Sinclair

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.

8,168 heating degree daysMore heating than 97% of U.S. towns
224 cooling degree daysLess cooling than 97% of U.S. towns

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 here

Living with Sinclair’s climate

What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.

The garden window

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.

Get outside

Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, August and September.

Parks & trails →
Storms and extremes

Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Sinclair from natural hazards, avalanches are the largest share (52%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 9%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.

Natural hazards →
Next door & far away

Sinclair and similar climates

TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Sinclair yet.

Temperatures and precipitation come from NOAA’s 5 km grid; snow and day counts from the stations named on this page.

Then and now

Warmer than it used to be

The last 30 years in Sinclair averaged 1.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+4.1°).

+1.7°1991–2020 vs. 1901–2000

A bigger shift than in 72% of U.S. towns.

Winter+1.8°now 23°, was 21°
Spring+2.1°now 42°, was 40°
Summer+1.3°now 65°, was 64°
Fall+1.5°now 44°, was 43°

Change by month

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

The two periods overlap (1991–2000 is in both), which makes the gap a little smaller than it would be between separate periods.

Compared with other towns

How Sinclair compares

Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Sinclair’s place among Wyoming’s.

Summer heat85° July high
Hotter July afternoons than 51% of U.S. towns20th hottest of 32 in Wyoming
Winter cold12° January low
Colder January nights than 91% of U.S. towns16th coldest of 32 in Wyoming
Precipitation9" a year
Drier than 98% of U.S. towns5th driest of 32 in Wyoming
Hot days15 days at 90°+
Fewer 90° days than 61% of U.S. towns7th fewest of 32 in Wyoming
Freezing nights192 a year
More freezing nights than all but 128 U.S. towns8th most of 32 in Wyoming
Growing season105 frost-free days
A shorter frost-free season than all but 46 U.S. towns4th shortest of 30 in Wyoming
Month by month

Sinclair weather by month

Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Sinclair’s center. 1991–2020 normals.

MonthHighLowRain + melt30-yr range
January32°12°0.4"13° – 30°
February35°14°0.4"18° – 31°
March46°22°0.6"26° – 41°
April55°28°1.2"35° – 48°
May65°36°1.5"44° – 55°
June77°44°0.9"54° – 66°
July85°51°0.8"61° – 72°
August83°49°0.7"62° – 70°
September73°41°0.9"53° – 61°
October58°30°0.8"36° – 51°
November43°21°0.5"19° – 40°
December33°12°0.4"16° – 27°
Year57°30°8.9"
Year to year

How much a month can swing

A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 19° to 40°. August is the most reliable, staying within 8°.

Coldest to warmest month in 30 yearsNormal
Sources

Where Sinclair’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 Sinclair’s center.
  • Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Rawlins Muni Airport, 5 miles from the town’s center, 150 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 Sinclair’s climate

What is the weather like in Sinclair?

A typical July afternoon reaches 85°, a January night drops to 12°. Colder January nights than 91% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 51% of U.S. towns.

How cold does it get in Sinclair in winter?

January nights average 12°. About 192 nights a year reach 32° or below and 15 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 13°.

How hot does it get in Sinclair?

July, with a typical high of 85° and a low of 51°. About 15 days a year reach 90° (Rawlins Muni Airport).

When is the first and last frost in Sinclair?

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 Sinclair in?

Zone 5a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −20°.

What is the best time of year to visit Sinclair?

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 Sinclair getting warmer?

Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.7° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 72% of U.S. towns.

Neighbors talk weather

Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Sinclair.

Town Square →
Ask your neighbors

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.