Basin, WY Climate: Temperature & Rain by Month
Pulled from NOAA NCEI 1991–2020 normals →: climate measurements used in PlainClimate's documented score
30-year climate normals (1991-2020) from Basin's primary NOAA station, BASIN.
The climate verdict for Basin
Winter sets the terms in Basin, Wyoming. A pronounced 55.9°F seasonal swing and heating demand above twice the cooling total frame an annual average of 49°F. At 39/100 (below average) the climate comfort score falls in the bottom third of the station-mapped U.S. score corpus, exceeding only 4% of scores.
- 49°F
- average temperature, NOAA 1991-2020 normal
- 39/100
- comfort score, above 4% of station-mapped location scores
- 7.2"
- annual precipitation · 20" snow
- 165 days
- frost-free days per growing season
Basin: NOAA 1991-2020 normals describe a typical year, not a forecast. Method: /methodology.
Normals record plate
Sheet USC00480540 · Basin, WY 49°F mean · 7.2" precip
TEMP-COOL · RANK-COOL · PHOTO-FINISH · PRCP-ARID · SWING-WIDE · COMF-LOW · LOAD-HEAT · STN-1 · BOOK-FULL
- TEMP-COOL 49°F
- RANK-COOL #2,401
- PHOTO-FINISH ≈ La Crosse
- PRCP-ARID 7.2"
- SWING-WIDE 56°F
- COMF-LOW 39/100
- LOAD-HEAT 6,765 HDD
- STN-1 USC00480540
- BOOK-FULL 6/6 fields
Nearest mean-temperature peer: La Crosse Muni, WI (+ 0 °F mean)
Instrument codes from this station's NOAA 1991–2020 normals, mean temperature, corpus warmth rank, photo-finish peer station, precipitation band, seasonal swing, comfort composite, degree-day load, and field book, not a livability rating.
Mean-temperature neighbourhood
Nationwide NOAA normal poles and nearest peers, not a reprint of every WY station list.
- Basin (this station) 49°F
- Cold W Point, NE 49°F
- Hot Pickstown, SD 49°F
- Near La Crosse, WI 49°F
- Near Cedar Butte, SD 49°F
Basin sits in Wyoming, the #5 coldest U.S. state at 43.3°F statewide annual average - see all 50 coldest states ranked by NOAA normals
Climate Living Index · Basin
Basin: 25/100 · grade F
Basin publishes 5 of 6 Living Index dimensions (NOAA annual/seasonal normals · NOAA daily multivariate normals); 1 missing weight rescale to 100.
PlainClimate-derived for Basin, not an official NOAA rating. Rankings still use Comfort Score 39/100 (separate formula). Breakpoints and limits.
| Dimension | Station value | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Snowfall burden | 20.1 inches/year | 49/100 · D |
| Frost-free season | 165 days/year | 38/100 · F |
| Annual temperature balance | 48.9°F · 18.6° from 67.5°F | 36/100 · F |
| Normal heat + freeze calendar | 204 calendar days | 12/100 · F |
| Precipitation balance | 7.2 in · 27.8 from 35 in | 6/100 · F |
Basin · 2026-08-04 · NOAA NCEI Climate Normals · method · Comfort Score method.
Basin's normals sit in a dry climate class: BSk
Precipitation is low relative to temperature but above true desert thresholds: cold semi-arid steppe (BSk). Class BSk is the Peel et al. (2007) label for this station's monthly mean temperature and precipitation normals: dry (arid or semi-arid), specifically cold semi-arid steppe.
- Köppen code
- BSk
- Group
- Dry (arid or semi-arid)
- Warmest month
- 76.5°F
- Coldest month
- 20.6°F
Source: official public datasets monthly normals (1991–2020) at the city’s primary station. This is a station classification, not a mapped regional consensus.
National standing · heating-led station
Where Basin sits across the climate record
Three NOAA fields for Basin's primary station, temperature, precipitation, and seasonal swing, are ranked against every station-mapped normal that carries the same field.
- Annual temperature
- 35th percentile warmth
- Mid-pack annual mean versus 6,861 station normals.
- Annual precipitation
- Drier than 98%
- Basin's annual total ranks in the drier third of 6,352 measured normals.
- Seasonal temperature swing
- Wider than 93%
- Warmest-to-coldest month gap for Basin is large versus 6,861 complete station-years.
How Basin compares across U.S. station-mapped locations
Basin's comfort score vs. all station-mapped locations
PlainClimate composite comfort index (1–100), NOAA 1991–2020 normals
39 4th percentile score exceeds 4% of 6,189 station-mapped location scores
- 0–10: 0 station-mapped locations (0%). Below this entry.
- 10–20: 0 station-mapped locations (0%). Below this entry.
- 20–30: 96 station-mapped locations (2%). Below this entry.
- 30–40: 280 station-mapped locations (5%). This entry sits in this band.
- 40–50: 1,113 station-mapped locations (18%). Above this entry.
- 50–60: 1,329 station-mapped locations (21%). Above this entry.
- 60–70: 1,236 station-mapped locations (20%). Above this entry.
- 70–80: 650 station-mapped locations (11%). Above this entry.
- 80–90: 921 station-mapped locations (15%). Above this entry.
- 90–100: 564 station-mapped locations (9%). Above this entry.
Source NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, PlainClimate comfort index · 1991–2020
Basin's measured station temperature trend
MethodologyAcross 95 complete annual observations from 1900 to 2024, BASIN warmed at a fitted rate of 0.15°C per decade. The line shows the fitted change relative to its first year, not raw year-to-year temperatures or a forecast.
- Basin primary station fitted change +0.15 °C/decade
Monthly Temperatures
Average daily high and low temperatures by month
| Month | Avg High | Avg Low | Mean | Precip | Snow | Freeze Days | 90°F+ Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 32°F (0°C) | 9°F (-13°C) | 21°F (-6°C) | 0.2" | 3.4" | 31.0 | 0.0 |
| February | 39°F (4°C) | 15°F (-10°C) | 27°F (-3°C) | 0.3" | 4.1" | 27.6 | 0.0 |
| March | 54°F (12°C) | 27°F (-3°C) | 41°F (5°C) | 0.3" | 2.3" | 26.0 | 0.0 |
| April | 63°F (17°C) | 37°F (3°C) | 50°F (10°C) | 0.8" | 1.5" | 13.7 | 0.0 |
| May | 73°F (23°C) | 47°F (8°C) | 60°F (15°C) | 1.4" | 0.1" | 2.5 | 0.9 |
| June | 84°F (29°C) | 55°F (13°C) | 69°F (21°C) | 1.0" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 7.1 |
| July | 93°F (34°C) | 60°F (16°C) | 77°F (25°C) | 0.4" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 19.7 |
| August | 91°F (33°C) | 57°F (14°C) | 74°F (23°C) | 0.3" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 17.4 |
| September | 79°F (26°C) | 48°F (9°C) | 63°F (17°C) | 0.9" | 0.2" | 1.5 | 4.3 |
| October | 63°F (17°C) | 36°F (2°C) | 49°F (10°C) | 0.8" | 1.5" | 15.4 | 0.0 |
| November | 46°F (8°C) | 23°F (-5°C) | 35°F (1°C) | 0.4" | 3.0" | 27.6 | 0.0 |
| December | 34°F (1°C) | 11°F (-11°C) | 23°F (-5°C) | 0.3" | 4.0" | 30.9 | 0.0 |
The year, day by day
Basin works both ends of the calendar. Normal highs climb to 94°F by July 26 and hold at or above 90°F on 48 dates, then normal lows drop to freezing or below on 156 dates, bottoming at 8°F around January 5.
When the heat sits
Normal highs reach 90°F from July 4 through August 20, covering 48 dates. The broader mild season, normal highs of 70°F or more, runs May 9 to October 3.
This counts calendar dates whose 1991–2020 normal high reaches 90°F. It is a smaller number than the 90°F+ day counts in the monthly table above, which measure how often the threshold was actually crossed in a typical year. A date can average 88°F and still exceed 90°F in half of all years.
The freezing stretch
The normal low stays at or below 32°F into March 28, then returns to freezing around October 25, covering 156 dates in all.
Derived from the normal daily minimum. This is a different measure from the 50%-probability frost dates shown elsewhere on this page, which come from NOAA’s frost product.
Where the wet dates fall
The likeliest wet date is May 25, when 24% of years recorded at least a hundredth of an inch. The driest is November 29 at 10%. Summed across the calendar, that is about 51 wet dates a year.
The widest day
August 16 carries the biggest normal gap between afternoon and dawn, 34°F between the normal high and the normal low.
Look up any date
Any date's 1991–2020 normal for Basin.
Where Basin Stands Nationally
Aridity defines the water calendar: about 7 inches in a normal year lands this among the driest tenth of ranked stations.
Daily temperature swings run wider than most of the country, peaking near 34°F between the normal high and low.
Basin earns 2 nationally notable standings (outer quintiles) against 6,860 NOAA 1991–2020 normals stations; only those extremes render.
Monthly Precipitation
Average monthly rainfall and snowfall
Snow: 3.4"
3.4 days with precipitation
Snow: 4.1"
3.6 days with precipitation
Snow: 2.3"
3.1 days with precipitation
Snow: 1.5"
5.1 days with precipitation
Snow: 0.1"
7.1 days with precipitation
6.0 days with precipitation
3.2 days with precipitation
3.6 days with precipitation
Snow: 0.2"
4.7 days with precipitation
Snow: 1.5"
4.0 days with precipitation
Snow: 3.0"
3.3 days with precipitation
Snow: 4.0"
3.3 days with precipitation
Basin spreads its precipitation across the year
Neither half of the year dominates here: June through August take 25% of the annual total and December through February 12%, with neither reaching the 35% that would mark a distinct wet season. Basin has no dry season to plan around, though it does carry a wide 55.9°F gap between its warmest and coldest month.
The gap between the wettest and driest month still matters: May averages 1.4" and January 0.2". The three wettest months together take 47% of the year, against the 25% a perfectly flat distribution would give them.
Shares are computed from this station's own 1991-2020 monthly precipitation normals. "Spread across the year" means neither the June-August nor the December-February share reaches 35%; it describes an average year, not the variability of any single one.
Basin is dry, and what does fall arrives gently
Only about 50 days a year record measurable precipitation here, 14% of the calendar, and they carry 7.2" between them. At roughly 0.14 inches on an average wet day, this is not the damp drizzle of a marine climate; it is an arid record in which precipitation is both uncommon and light when it appears.
The wettest month by count is May at about 7 wet days; the driest is March at about 3.
A low per-event average in a dry record is a statement about typical days only. Arid regions can still take a large share of a year's total from a single convective storm, which a normal cannot show.
A wet day is one recording at least 0.01 inches. These are 1991-2020 normals: they describe an average year, not the extremes within it.
Winter brings real snow to Basin
Basin averages 20.1 inches of snowfall a year, with February the snowiest month on the normals, spread across roughly 12 days that record measurable snow. That is depth accumulating on the ground, which is why it can exceed the annual precipitation figure: precipitation counts the liquid the snow melts down to, and fresh snow is mostly air.
- Annual snowfall: 20.1 inches of depth.
- Days recording measurable snow: about 12 a year.
- At a rough ten-to-one melt ratio, snow accounts for on the order of 28% of the year's precipitation.
NOAA 1991-2020 normals. The ten-to-one ratio is a convention, not a measurement: real ratios vary with temperature, so treat the share as an order of magnitude rather than an exact split.
Frost Dates & Growing Season
First Fall Freeze
October 10
50% probability date
Last Spring Freeze
April 28
50% probability date
Growing Season
165 days
Heating & Cooling Degree Days
Annual totals indicate energy demand for heating and cooling
Heating Degree Days
6,765
Higher = more heating needed
Cooling Degree Days
950
Higher = more cooling needed
Warmest Month
July
Coldest Month
January
Nationwide similar cities
Other rankable U.S. places outside WY closest to Basin on two NOAA annual-normal axes (mean temperature and annual precipitation). Chip rows use distinct link sets.
Closest by average temperature
Nearest out-of-state peers by annual mean temperature (49°F here).
- Armour, SD 49°F · 0.0°F off
- Castle Dale, UT 49°F · 0.0°F off
- Colville, WA 49°F · 0.0°F off
- El Rito, NM 49°F · 0.0°F off
Closest by annual precipitation
Nearest out-of-state peers by annual precipitation (7.2" here), excluding temperature-peer places.
- Aguila, AZ 7.1" · 0.0" off
- Center, CO 7.2" · 0.0" off
- Gabbs, NV 7.1" · 0.0" off
- Maricopa, AZ 7.1" · 0.0" off
Snow and freeze rhythm
When cold and snow define Basin
heating led · dry · high swing
Winter and seasonal range jointly define this record. Basin logs 6,765 heating degree days, more than twice its 950 cooling total, while the typical coldest-to-warmest-month gap reaches 55.9°F. The annual mean therefore compresses two materially different seasons.
Basin's frost-free season lasts about 165 days, a middle-length window whose endpoints matter more than the annual average. It describes freeze probability, not year-specific planting conditions.
-
1. Basin coldest normal
January
Averaging 21°F (-6°C), this month sits below freezing for the month as a whole, not merely overnight.
-
2. Basin typical freeze period
January through December
The station reports average freezing days from January through December.
-
3. Basin snow peak
February
Basin averages 20.1 inches of snow a year, with February the snowiest month on the normals.
Questions about Basin's climate
How much snow does Basin get? ▼
How many days above 90°F does Basin get? ▼
How much energy does heating and cooling require in Basin? ▼
Data Sources
Data source: NOAA U.S. Climate Normals v1.0.1 (1991-2020). All figures on this page are from Basin's primary station: BASIN (USC00480540). For informational purposes only.
Place identity: U.S. Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer places. The 2024 Census Gazetteer identifies the exact name-and-state match as an incorporated place (GEOID 5605320). Match rule for Basin: exact normalized name + state only, no fuzzy expansion, so nearby differently spelled facilities stay unmatched.
On this page every temperature, precipitation, and derived score for Basin comes from its primary NOAA station record. No figure on this page is typed in by an editor - each value is rendered from NOAA 1991-2020 U.S. Climate Normals. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 1991–2020 normals.