Dry weather: only 14 inches of rain and melted snow a year in Y-O Ranch, less than in 94% of U.S. towns
Peak summer warmth arrives in July, with afternoons near 88°. In January, nights here are colder than in 77% of U.S. towns. Since 1901–2000, the year has warmed by 1.9°, most of all in March. Seedlings are safe outdoors from about May 19, with the first autumn frost due around September 22.
A year in Y-O Ranch at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Y-O Ranch’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Y-O Ranch’s place in Wyoming beside it.
What a year in Y-O Ranch feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 125 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 19 and the first by September 22. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Wheatland 4 N, WY, 5 miles from the town’s center, 140 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Y-O Ranch’s center in zone 5a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −18°. 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 40 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Wheatland 4 N, WY, is heaviest from February through March, about 8 inches a month. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 14 inches a year; May is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 58 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Y-O Ranch
92% 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 Wheatland 4 N, WY.
Living with Y-O Ranch’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
125 frost-free days in zone 5a. The last frost comes by May 19 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 22.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June and September. 2.8 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Y-O Ranch from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (48%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 23%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Y-O Ranch and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Y-O Ranch yet.
Climates most like Y-O Ranch’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Y-O Ranch, WY | 17° | 88° | 14" | 40" |
| Spring Creek, NV | 15° | 89° | 14" | 41" |
| Chubbuck, ID | 17° | 88° | 12" | 39" |
| Lockwood, MT | 15° | 88° | 15" | 35" |
| Fort Carson, CO | 18° | 89° | 15" | 33" |
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 Y-O Ranch averaged 1.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+4.0°).
A bigger shift than in 84% 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 Y-O Ranch compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Y-O Ranch’s place among Wyoming’s.
Y-O Ranch weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Y-O Ranch’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Wheatland 4 N, WY. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 41° | 17° | 0.3" | 4.6" | 3 | 4 | 23° – 36° |
| February | 43° | 17° | 0.5" | 7.8" | 3 | 5 | 21° – 38° |
| March | 53° | 25° | 0.8" | 7.4" | 4 | 3 | 28° – 47° |
| April | 60° | 31° | 1.7" | 5.4" | 6 | 1 | 39° – 51° |
| May | 69° | 40° | 2.7" | 1.4" | 8 | 0 | 48° – 60° |
| June | 81° | 49° | 1.9" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 60° – 71° |
| July | 88° | 56° | 1.5" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 67° – 77° |
| August | 87° | 53° | 1.2" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 66° – 74° |
| September | 78° | 44° | 1.2" | 0.1" | 5 | 0 | 56° – 66° |
| October | 64° | 32° | 1.2" | 3.2" | 4 | 1 | 40° – 54° |
| November | 50° | 23° | 0.5" | 4.3" | 3 | 3 | 25° – 45° |
| December | 41° | 16° | 0.5" | 5.7" | 3 | 5 | 21° – 33° |
| Year | 63° | 34° | 13.9" | 39.9" | 58 | 23 |
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 45°. August is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Y-O Ranch’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 Y-O Ranch’s center.
- Snow: Wheatland 4 N, WY.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Wheatland 4 N, WY, 5 miles from the town’s center, 140 ft lower; 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 Y-O Ranch’s climate
What is the weather like in Y-O Ranch?
A typical July afternoon reaches 88°, a January night drops to 17°, and about 40 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 77% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 69% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Y-O Ranch in winter?
December nights average 16°. About 153 nights a year reach 32° or below and 10 reach 0° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 21°.
How much snow does Y-O Ranch get?
About 40 inches in a normal winter at Wheatland 4 N, WY, heaviest from February through March, about 8 inches a month, with snow on the ground about 23 days a year.
How hot does it get in Y-O Ranch?
July, with a typical high of 88° and a low of 56°. About 44 days a year reach 90° and 4 reach 100° (Wheatland 4 N, WY).
When is the first and last frost in Y-O Ranch?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 19 and the first fall frost by September 22, about 125 frost-free days, at Wheatland 4 N, WY.
What growing zone is Y-O Ranch in?
Zone 5a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −18°.
What is the best time of year to visit Y-O Ranch?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Y-O Ranch getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 84% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Y-O Ranch.
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.