Climate Comfort Score
47/100
Moderate
NOAA 1991–2020 normals 38°F annual avg Public-domain federal data
Fossil Butte, WY Climate
Pulled from NOAA NCEI 1991–2020 normals →: average temperature, precipitation, and comfort score
- 38°F
- Avg annual temp
- 47/100
- Comfort score
- 11.7"
- Annual precip
30-year climate normals from 1 weather station (1991-2020).
The climate verdict for Fossil Butte
Fossil Butte, Wyoming averages 38°F a year and scores 47/100 on the comfort index - moderate, milder than 17% of U.S. cities.
- 38°F
- average temperature, NOAA 1991-2020 normal
- 47/100
- comfort score, milder than 17% of U.S. cities
- 11.7"
- yearly precipitation total
Based on NOAA U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020) - 30-year averages describing the typical year, not a forecast.
Avg Temperature
38°F (4°C)
Avg High
54°F
Avg Low
23°F
Annual Precip
11.7"
Comfort Score
47/100
Moderate
Avg Annual Temperature
38°F
30-year mean (NOAA NCEI)
Annual Precipitation
11.7"
Liquid-equivalent total
Comfort score vs national 100-point ceiling (Fossil Butte) 47.0%
National median (63)
PlainClimate composite, temperature mildness, humidity, precipitation, extreme-weather frequency. Moderate for the Fossil Butte area.
How Fossil Butte compares to every U.S. city
Fossil Butte's comfort score vs. all U.S. cities
PlainClimate composite comfort index (1–100), NOAA 1991–2020 normals
47 Top 83% higher than 17% of 6,915 US cities
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, PlainClimate comfort index · 1991–2020
Warming context for Fossil Butte
MethodologyFossil Butte's NOAA 1991-2020 normal sits inside a longer story: U.S. land temperatures have been tracking (and drifting from) the global mean since 1900, and the chart below shows that spread, with the most recent decade running warmer than the 30-year mean.
- United States land mean (NOAA NCEI) +0.11 °C/decade
- Global anomaly (NASA GISTEMP) +0.11 °C/decade
- Paris Agreement thresholds 1.5°C / 2.0°C
Monthly Temperatures
Average daily high and low temperatures by month
| Month | Avg High | Avg Low | Mean | Precip | Freeze Days | 90°F+ Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 28°F (-2°C) | 5°F (-15°C) | 16°F (-9°C) | 0.7" | 30.9 | 0.0 |
| February | 31°F (-1°C) | 6°F (-14°C) | 18°F (-8°C) | 0.8" | 27.7 | 0.0 |
| March | 41°F (5°C) | 16°F (-9°C) | 28°F (-2°C) | 0.9" | 30.4 | 0.0 |
| April | 52°F (11°C) | 23°F (-5°C) | 38°F (3°C) | 1.1" | 27.4 | 0.0 |
| May | 63°F (17°C) | 30°F (-1°C) | 46°F (8°C) | 1.5" | 18.8 | 0.0 |
| June | 74°F (23°C) | 35°F (2°C) | 54°F (12°C) | 1.1" | 8.1 | 0.5 |
| July | 83°F (29°C) | 42°F (5°C) | 63°F (17°C) | 0.6" | 1.3 | 5.3 |
| August | 82°F (28°C) | 41°F (5°C) | 61°F (16°C) | 0.9" | 2.2 | 2.1 |
| September | 72°F (22°C) | 32°F (0°C) | 52°F (11°C) | 1.1" | 15.1 | 0.1 |
| October | 57°F (14°C) | 23°F (-5°C) | 40°F (5°C) | 1.3" | 25.7 | 0.0 |
| November | 40°F (5°C) | 14°F (-10°C) | 27°F (-3°C) | 0.9" | 28.9 | 0.0 |
| December | 29°F (-2°C) | 5°F (-15°C) | 17°F (-8°C) | 0.9" | 30.8 | 0.0 |
Monthly Precipitation
Average monthly rainfall
January 0.7"
8.5 days with precipitation
February 0.8"
8.3 days with precipitation
March 0.9"
7.8 days with precipitation
April 1.1"
7.7 days with precipitation
May 1.5"
9.9 days with precipitation
June 1.1"
7.0 days with precipitation
July 0.6"
5.1 days with precipitation
August 0.9"
6.8 days with precipitation
September 1.1"
6.9 days with precipitation
October 1.3"
7.4 days with precipitation
November 0.9"
8.2 days with precipitation
December 0.9"
9.3 days with precipitation
Frost Dates & Growing Season
First Fall Freeze
N/A
50% probability date
Last Spring Freeze
N/A
50% probability date
Heating & Cooling Degree Days
Annual totals indicate energy demand for heating and cooling
Heating Degree Days
9,718
Higher = more heating needed
Cooling Degree Days
60
Higher = more cooling needed
Warmest Month
July
Coldest Month
January
What Fossil Butte's climate means for you
Fossil Butte runs 38°F a year - peaking in July, coldest in January.
- Energy bills track 9,718 heating and 60 cooling degree days a year, higher means the furnace or AC runs more.
- Comparing places to live? Line this city up against nearby cities and the national rankings. See rankings
These are 30-year NOAA normals (1991–2020) - the typical year, not a forecast for any specific season.
Climate Guides
Climate Insight: Fossil Butte, WY
The NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals describe Fossil Butte, Wyoming as a location with an annual average temperature of 38°F, ranging from a mean daily high of 54°F to a mean daily low of 23°F. July is typically the warmest month of the year, while January is the coldest. These thirty-year averages, computed from station USC00483582, smooth out year-to-year variability and give a baseline expectation for typical conditions in any given month.
Precipitation patterns matter as much as temperature for anyone planning to live, garden, or travel here. Fossil Butte receives roughly 11.7 inches of precipitation each year, predominantly as rainfall. Growing-season length varies with elevation and microclimate. For energy use, 9,718 heating degree days and 60 cooling degree days tell the story of how often furnaces and air conditioners run during a normal year.
On PlainClimate's composite comfort index, Fossil Butte scores 47/100 (Moderate), a blended measure that weighs temperature mildness, precipitation moderation, and extreme-weather frequency against one another. Use the monthly tables above to plan around specific windows, shoulder seasons for mild highs and lows, peak summer for July-driven heat, or deep winter for January-driven cold. All figures here are thirty-year averages: any single year may run warmer, wetter, drier, or cooler than the normal, so treat them as planning guidance rather than forecasts.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average temperature in Fossil Butte, WY? ▼
The average annual temperature in Fossil Butte, Wyoming is 38°F. The warmest month averages 83°F (29°C) and the coldest averages 5°F (-15°C).
How much rain does Fossil Butte get? ▼
Fossil Butte receives 11.7 inches of precipitation annually. Based on NOAA 30-year climate normals (1991-2020).
What is the comfort score for Fossil Butte? ▼
Fossil Butte has a climate comfort score of 47/100 (Moderate), milder than 17% of U.S. cities in the PlainClimate database.
When is the growing season in Fossil Butte? ▼
Growing season data is not available for Fossil Butte.
How much energy does heating and cooling require in Fossil Butte? ▼
Fossil Butte has 9,718 heating degree days and 60 cooling degree days annually, a heating-dominated climate. See our <a href="/guides/reading-weather-data/" class="underline hover:text-brand-600">guide to reading weather data</a> for what these figures mean.
Where does this Fossil Butte climate data come from? ▼
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals v1.0.1 (1991-2020), from weather station USC00483582 near Fossil Butte.
Data Sources
Data source: NOAA U.S. Climate Normals v1.0.1 (1991-2020). Station: USC00483582. For informational purposes only.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Related
Data sourced from official public datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainClimate Editorial
Every figure on PlainClimate is rendered directly from NOAA 1991-2020 U.S. Climate Normals data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on NOAA 1991-2020 U.S. Climate Normals data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.