Basin, WY climate
Basin has cold winters and warm summers, with very little rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 90°, a January night drops to 8°, and about 20 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Basin feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Basin 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 | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 31° | 8° | 0.2" | 3.4" | 3 | 17 | 8° – 30° |
| February | 38° | 13° | 0.3" | 4.1" | 4 | 13 | 12° – 36° |
| March | 52° | 24° | 0.3" | 2.3" | 3 | 4 | 28° – 47° |
| April | 61° | 32° | 0.8" | 1.5" | 5 | 1 | 41° – 51° |
| May | 70° | 43° | 1.4" | 0.1" | 7 | 0 | 51° – 61° |
| June | 81° | 51° | 1.1" | 0 | 6 | 0 | 59° – 73° |
| July | 90° | 57° | 0.5" | 0 | 3 | 0 | 64° – 79° |
| August | 88° | 54° | 0.4" | 0 | 4 | 0 | 66° – 75° |
| September | 76° | 44° | 1.0" | 0.2" | 5 | 0 | 56° – 65° |
| October | 61° | 32° | 0.8" | 1.5" | 4 | 1 | 38° – 52° |
| November | 45° | 19° | 0.3" | 3.0" | 3 | 5 | 18° – 42° |
| December | 32° | 9° | 0.3" | 4.0" | 3 | 14 | 11° – 27° |
| Year | 60° | 32° | 7.3" | 20.1" | 50 | 53 |
“Wet days” have at least 0.01" of rain or melted snow. “Snow on ground” counts days with 1" or more. The 30-year range is the coldest and warmest that month’s average temperature got between 1991 and 2020.
Rain and snow in Basin
Basin gets 7 inches of rain and melted snow a year. May is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 50 days a year. Snow covers the ground about 53 days of the year.
About 164 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 28 and the first one by October 10. That leaves about 164 frost-free days for gardens, shorter than 67% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Basin
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Basin, 88% of that work is heating and 12% is cooling, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner.
Degree days measure how far each day’s average temperature falls below or rises above 65°, added up over a year. Source: NOAA station normals.
How Basin compares
Compared with every U.S. town and city on TownTapestry, each counted once.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Basin averaged 2.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+4.9°). The shift is larger than in 96% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Basin’s spot on NOAA’s grid
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average, and real years wander around it. November swings the most: between 1991 and 2020 its average temperature ranged from 18° to 42°. August is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Common questions about Basin’s climate
What is the coldest month in Basin?
January, with a typical high of 31° and a low of 8°.
What is the hottest month in Basin?
July, with a typical high of 90° and a low of 57°. About 49 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Basin get?
About 20 inches in a normal winter, most of it in February.
When is the first frost in Basin?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 10, and the last spring frost by April 28.
What is the rainiest month in Basin?
May, with 1.4 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 7 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Basin itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Basin, WY (1 mi) away. Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000.