Photo: Jared Winkler · CC BY-SA 4.0Nights turn raw in Upton each January, colder than in 94% of U.S. towns
In July the day’s top temperature is typically 87°. The seasons are far apart: from a winter night to a summer afternoon the average spans 77°. Its yearly precipitation falls short of 93% of U.S. towns. The frost-free window for a garden runs roughly May 20 to September 23.
A year in Upton at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Upton’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Upton’s place in Wyoming beside it.
What a year in Upton 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 20 and the first by September 23. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Upton, WY, 1.5 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Upton’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 46 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Upton, WY, falls mostly in January, February and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 16 inches a year; May is the wettest month and December the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 69 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Upton
94% 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 Upton, WY.
Living with Upton’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
123 frost-free days in zone 4b. The last frost comes by May 20 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 23.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June and September. 0.2 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Upton from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (26%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 27%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Upton and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Upton yet.
Climates most like Upton’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Upton, WY | 10° | 87° | 16" | 46" |
| Gypsum, CO | 11° | 86° | 14" | 39" |
| Alliance, NE | 13° | 88° | 17" | 45" |
| Laurel, MT | 15° | 88° | 14" | 48" |
| Pierre, SD | 9° | 88° | 19" | 37" |
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 Upton averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+4.0°).
A bigger shift than in 51% 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 Upton compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Upton’s place among Wyoming’s.
Upton weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Upton’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Upton, WY. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 33° | 10° | 0.4" | 8.2" | 4 | 21 | 14° – 33° |
| February | 36° | 12° | 0.5" | 8.1" | 4 | 17 | 9° – 34° |
| March | 47° | 22° | 0.8" | 6.2" | 5 | 10 | 24° – 45° |
| April | 56° | 29° | 1.7" | 5.3" | 8 | 3 | 35° – 48° |
| May | 65° | 39° | 2.9" | 0.7" | 10 | 0 | 45° – 59° |
| June | 77° | 49° | 2.4" | 0.1" | 9 | 0 | 56° – 70° |
| July | 87° | 56° | 2.0" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 64° – 78° |
| August | 85° | 54° | 1.4" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 64° – 75° |
| September | 74° | 44° | 1.1" | 0.1" | 4 | 0 | 52° – 65° |
| October | 59° | 31° | 1.4" | 3.1" | 5 | 1 | 35° – 51° |
| November | 44° | 20° | 0.5" | 6.3" | 3 | 8 | 20° – 42° |
| December | 34° | 11° | 0.4" | 8.3" | 4 | 18 | 12° – 29° |
| Year | 58° | 31° | 15.5" | 46.4" | 69 | 77 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 9° to 34°. August is the most reliable, staying within 11°.
Where Upton’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 Upton’s center.
- Snow: Upton, WY (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Upton, WY, 1.5 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 Upton’s climate
What is the weather like in Upton?
A typical July afternoon reaches 87°, a January night drops to 10°, and about 46 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 94% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 60% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Upton in winter?
January nights average 10°. About 182 nights a year reach 32° or below and 21 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 14°.
How much snow does Upton get?
About 46 inches in a normal winter at Upton, WY, most of it in January, February and December, with snow on the ground about 77 days a year.
How hot does it get in Upton?
July, with a typical high of 87° and a low of 56°. About 31 days a year reach 90° and 2 reach 100° (Upton, WY).
When is the first and last frost in Upton?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 20 and the first fall frost by September 23, about 123 frost-free days, at Upton, WY.
What growing zone is Upton 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 Upton?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), June and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Upton getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 51% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Upton.
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.