Cottonwood Heights has chilly, snowy winters and warm summers, with very little rain
A typical July afternoon reaches 91°, a January night drops to 22°, and about 82 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Cottonwood Heights at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Cottonwood Heights’s climate
Read from where Cottonwood Heights sits among Utah’s towns. The page puts what stands out first.
82 inches of snow, 20 of rain and melt
April is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 89 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
What a year in Cottonwood Heights feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 174 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 29 and the first by October 22.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
90° days by month
Average days at 90° or more
Living with Cottonwood Heights’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a driveway, a furnace and a free afternoon.
174 frost-free days. The last frost comes by Apr 29 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Oct 22.
About 82" a winter over 19 days with an inch or more, most in December.
Months averaging under 55° run from October through April. Heating is 82% of the year’s heating-and-cooling load.
About 48 days a year reach 90°, and July afternoons average 91°.
The nicest months are May, June, September and October. 8.3 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Normals are averages. Ice storms, nor’easters, floods and heat waves are on the natural hazards page.
Natural hazards →Cottonwood Heights and its neighbors
Granite has the coldest January nights next door (19°) and Murray the hottest July afternoons (92°). Tap a town to see its climate.
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value. Snow and frost-free days come from the nearest weather station, so neighbors often share them.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Cottonwood Heights averaged 1.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+3.3°).
A bigger shift than in 81% of U.S. towns.
Change by month
How Cottonwood Heights compares
Against every U.S. town on TownTapestry, each counted once, with its place in Utah.
Cottonwood Heights weather by month
Average highs, lows, rain and snow for every month, from NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 38° | 22° | 1.8" | 17.0" | 9 | 23° – 37° |
| February | 44° | 25° | 1.7" | 18.4" | 8 | 29° – 42° |
| March | 53° | 33° | 2.2" | 7.6" | 9 | 38° – 49° |
| April | 60° | 38° | 2.7" | 5.6" | 10 | 44° – 56° |
| May | 71° | 46° | 2.6" | 0.3" | 9 | 51° – 63° |
| June | 82° | 55° | 1.2" | 0 | 5 | 62° – 75° |
| July | 91° | 63° | 0.6" | 0 | 3 | 68° – 81° |
| August | 88° | 61° | 0.8" | 0 | 5 | 70° – 79° |
| September | 79° | 52° | 1.5" | 0 | 6 | 61° – 70° |
| October | 64° | 40° | 1.9" | 1.5" | 8 | 45° – 58° |
| November | 50° | 30° | 1.6" | 8.2" | 8 | 32° – 47° |
| December | 38° | 23° | 1.8" | 23.3" | 9 | 24° – 35° |
| Year | 63° | 41° | 20.5" | 81.9" | 89 |
Heating and cooling a home in Cottonwood Heights
82% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. Source: NOAA station normals.
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 32° to 47°. September is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Common questions about Cottonwood Heights’s climate
What is the coldest month in Cottonwood Heights?
January, with a typical high of 38° and a low of 22°.
What is the hottest month in Cottonwood Heights?
July, with a typical high of 91° and a low of 63°. About 48 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Cottonwood Heights get?
About 82 inches in a normal winter, most of it in December.
When is the first frost in Cottonwood Heights?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 22, and the last spring frost by April 29.
What is the rainiest month in Cottonwood Heights?
April, with 2.7 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 20 inches.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Cottonwood Heights.
Your answer becomes a post in Town Square.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Cottonwood Heights itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Cottonwood Weir, UT (2 mi) away. Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000. Today’s forecast: National Weather Service.