Photo: Jared Winkler · CC BY-SA 4.0Dry weather: only 16 inches of rain and melted snow a year in Van Tassell, less than in 92% of U.S. towns
July afternoons average 86°. The seasons are far apart: from a winter night to a summer afternoon the average spans 75°. Its January nights bite harder than in 92% of U.S. towns. For walks and days out, June and September bring highs of 75–78°.
A year in Van Tassell at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Van Tassell’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Van Tassell’s place in Wyoming beside it.
What a year in Van Tassell feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 121 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 20 and the first by September 21. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Harrison, NE, 11 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Van Tassell’s 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 57 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Harrison, NE, is heaviest from February through March, about 10 inches a month. 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 85 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Van Tassell
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 Harrison, NE.
Living with Van Tassell’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
121 frost-free days in zone 5a. 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 21.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June and September.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Van Tassell from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (38%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 31%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Van Tassell and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Van Tassell yet.
Climates most like Van Tassell’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Van Tassell, WY | 12° | 86° | 16" | 57" |
| Durango, CO | 12° | 86° | 18" | 64" |
| Rigby, ID | 12° | 85° | 12" | 66" |
| Great Falls, MT | 13° | 84° | 13" | 66" |
| Doney Park, AZ | 17° | 86° | 16" | 52" |
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 Van Tassell averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.5°).
A smaller shift than in 55% 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 Van Tassell compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Van Tassell’s place among Wyoming’s.
Van Tassell weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Van Tassell’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Harrison, NE. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 37° | 12° | 0.3" | 6.2" | 5 | 15 | 18° – 32° |
| February | 39° | 13° | 0.5" | 10.0" | 5 | 11 | 15° – 35° |
| March | 49° | 21° | 1.0" | 10.9" | 6 | 8 | 23° – 45° |
| April | 56° | 28° | 1.9" | 8.1" | 8 | 5 | 35° – 48° |
| May | 66° | 38° | 3.1" | 2.7" | 12 | 1 | 45° – 57° |
| June | 78° | 47° | 2.5" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 57° – 69° |
| July | 86° | 54° | 2.0" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 63° – 74° |
| August | 85° | 51° | 1.4" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 63° – 72° |
| September | 75° | 42° | 1.3" | 0.9" | 7 | 0 | 53° – 64° |
| October | 60° | 29° | 1.3" | 3.8" | 6 | 2 | 36° – 50° |
| November | 47° | 19° | 0.5" | 5.5" | 5 | 4 | 22° – 41° |
| December | 37° | 12° | 0.4" | 8.5" | 5 | 11 | 16° – 30° |
| Year | 60° | 30° | 16.2" | 56.6" | 85 | 56 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. March swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 23° to 45°. August is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Van Tassell’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 Van Tassell’s center.
- Snow: Harrison, NE.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Harrison, NE, 11 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 Van Tassell’s climate
What is the weather like in Van Tassell?
A typical July afternoon reaches 86°, a January night drops to 12°, and about 57 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 92% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 57% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Van Tassell in winter?
January nights average 12°. About 190 nights a year reach 32° or below and 18 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 18°.
How much snow does Van Tassell get?
About 57 inches in a normal winter at Harrison, NE, heaviest from February through March, about 10 inches a month, with snow on the ground about 56 days a year.
How hot does it get in Van Tassell?
July, with a typical high of 86° and a low of 54°. About 21 days a year reach 90° (Harrison, NE).
When is the first and last frost in Van Tassell?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 20 and the first fall frost by September 21, about 121 frost-free days, at Harrison, NE.
What growing zone is Van Tassell 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 Van Tassell?
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 Van Tassell getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.3° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 55% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Van Tassell.
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.