Shell, WY climate
Shell has cold winters and warm summers, with very little rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 88°, a January night drops to 9°, and about 28 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Shell feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Shell 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 | 33° | 9° | 0.4" | 7.3" | 5 | 20 | 12° – 28° |
| February | 37° | 13° | 0.5" | 6.4" | 4 | 17 | 16° – 33° |
| March | 49° | 23° | 0.5" | 2.7" | 4 | 5 | 29° – 43° |
| April | 58° | 30° | 0.9" | 1.4" | 6 | 1 | 38° – 49° |
| May | 68° | 40° | 1.8" | 0 | 10 | 0 | 49° – 59° |
| June | 78° | 48° | 1.4" | 0 | 7 | 0 | 56° – 69° |
| July | 88° | 55° | 0.7" | 0 | 4 | 0 | 62° – 77° |
| August | 86° | 52° | 0.5" | 0 | 4 | 0 | 63° – 73° |
| September | 74° | 42° | 1.2" | 0 | 5 | 0 | 54° – 64° |
| October | 59° | 31° | 1.0" | 0.9" | 6 | 1 | 37° – 51° |
| November | 45° | 19° | 0.6" | 3.9" | 5 | 6 | 21° – 41° |
| December | 34° | 9° | 0.4" | 5.6" | 4 | 12 | 13° – 26° |
| Year | 59° | 31° | 10.0" | 28.2" | 63 | 62 |
“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 Shell
Shell gets 10 inches of rain and melted snow a year. May is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 63 days a year. Snow covers the ground about 62 days of the year.
About 130 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 16 and the first one by September 24. That leaves about 130 frost-free days for gardens, shorter than 95% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Shell
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Shell, 94% of that work is heating and 6% 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 Shell 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 Shell averaged 1.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+4.7°). The shift is larger than in 88% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Shell’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 21° to 41°. August is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Common questions about Shell’s climate
What is the coldest month in Shell?
January, with a typical high of 33° and a low of 9°.
What is the hottest month in Shell?
July, with a typical high of 88° and a low of 55°. About 41 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Shell get?
About 28 inches in a normal winter, most of it in January.
When is the first frost in Shell?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by September 24, and the last spring frost by May 16.
What is the rainiest month in Shell?
May, with 1.8 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 10 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Shell itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Shell, WY (1 mi) away. Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000.