Little Sahara Rec Area, Utah climate: Climate normals at a NOAA weather station
Little Sahara Rec Area's normal year runs from 16°F December nights to 93°F July afternoons, with 12.3 inches of precipitation a year. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a yearly mean of 10.1°C, December lows of −9°C, July highs of 34°C, 313 mm of precipitation a year.
- NOAA stationLittle Sahara Rec Area
- Station IDUSC00425138
- Location39.73°N 112.31°W
- Elevation5,230 ft (1,594 m)
On October 23, the normal high in Little Sahara Rec Area is 62°F and the normal low 32°F.
Normals describe a typical year at the station, not a forecast. The National Weather Service forecast for Little Sahara Rec Area.
- Jan 38° 16°
- Feb 44° 21°
- Mar 54° 28°
- Apr 61° 33°
- May 72° 42°
- Jun 84° 51°
- Jul 93° 59°
- Aug 91° 57°
- Sep 80° 48°
- Oct 65° 35°
- Nov 51° 25°
- Dec 38° 16°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
What is the weather like at Little Sahara Rec Area each month?
July is the warmest month, with normal highs of 93°F; December the coldest, with normal lows of 16°F. The most precipitation falls in May (1.49 in), the least in July (0.64 in).
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Precip. | Wet days | 90°F days | Freezing nights | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 38°F | 16°F | 27.4°F | 0.81 | – | <1 | 30 | 9 h 40 min |
| February | 44°F | 21°F | 32.7°F | 1.29 | – | <1 | 26 | 10 h 40 min |
| March | 54°F | 28°F | 40.9°F | 1.34 | – | <1 | 25 | 11 h 50 min |
| April | 61°F | 33°F | 47.2°F | 1.40 | – | <1 | 16 | 13 h 10 min |
| May | 72°F | 42°F | 56.7°F | 1.49 | – | 1 | 5 | 14 h 20 min |
| June | 84°F | 51°F | 67.4°F | 0.76 | – | 12 | <1 | 15 h |
| July | 93°F | 59°F | 75.9°F | 0.64 | – | 25 | <1 | 14 h 40 min |
| August | 91°F | 57°F | 74.1°F | 0.73 | – | 22 | <1 | 13 h 50 min |
| September | 80°F | 48°F | 63.9°F | 0.87 | – | 4 | 2 | 12 h 30 min |
| October | 65°F | 35°F | 49.9°F | 1.14 | – | <1 | 14 | 11 h 10 min |
| November | 51°F | 25°F | 37.6°F | 0.77 | – | <1 | 25 | 10 h |
| December | 38°F | 16°F | 27.1°F | 1.07 | – | <1 | 30 | 9 h 20 min |
| Year (annual) | 64°F | 36°F | 50.1°F | 12.31 | – | 64 | 173 |
The same normals in °C and millimetres
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 4°C | −9°C | −2.6°C | 21 mm |
| February | 7°C | −6°C | 0.4°C | 33 mm |
| March | 12°C | −2°C | 4.9°C | 34 mm |
| April | 16°C | 1°C | 8.4°C | 36 mm |
| May | 22°C | 5°C | 13.7°C | 38 mm |
| June | 29°C | 10°C | 19.7°C | 19 mm |
| July | 34°C | 15°C | 24.4°C | 16 mm |
| August | 33°C | 14°C | 23.4°C | 19 mm |
| September | 27°C | 9°C | 17.7°C | 22 mm |
| October | 19°C | 1°C | 9.9°C | 29 mm |
| November | 10°C | −4°C | 3.1°C | 20 mm |
| December | 3°C | −9°C | −2.7°C | 27 mm |
NOAA publishes no 1991-2020 snowfall normal for this station. The nearest record that keeps one, Oak City (24 miles away), gets 33 inches of snow in a normal year; elevation and distance can change that.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USC00425138; annual normals. Wet days: 0.01 inch or more; 90°F days and freezing nights: NOAA's day counts. Daylight: sunrise to sunset on the 15th, computed from the latitude.
Which months are mildest at Little Sahara Rec Area?
Normal highs sit between 65°F and 85°F in May, June, September and October.
That is a measurement, not a recommendation: it counts the months whose normal afternoon high sits between 65°F and 85°F, where a light layer is enough by day.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USC00425138.
When is the last frost at Little Sahara Rec Area?
In Little Sahara Rec Area, the last spring frost (32°F) comes after May 15 in half of years and after June 5 in one year in ten; the first autumn frost comes before October 1 in half of years and before September 17 in one year in ten.
Frost-free in half of yearsFrost in 1 to 9 years out of 10Frost most years
- Last spring frost, half of years after
- May 151 year in 10 after June 5; 9 in 10 after April 30
- First autumn frost, half of years before
- October 11 year in 10 before September 17; 9 in 10 before October 15
NOAA puts the median frost-free season at 137 days, and the season without a hard freeze (28°F) at 158 days.
A hard freeze (28°F) comes after May 2 in half of springs and before October 10 in half of autumns.
The USDA's 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Little Sahara Rec Area in zone 6a in ZIP code 84638, the nearest ZIP area.
Frost dates for every NOAA station in Utah · Frost dates by ZIP code
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals (frost probabilities), station USC00425138; USDA 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map, ZIP listings: PRISM Group, Oregon State University, https://prism.oregonstate.edu, accessed October 8, 2026. A 10% date means one year in ten has a frost after it in spring or before it in autumn.
How hot and how cold does it get at Little Sahara Rec Area?
In a normal year in Little Sahara Rec Area, 64 days a year reach 90°F (5 of them 100°F or more) and 173 nights fall to 32°F or colder.
- Days at 90°F or more
- 64a normal year
- Days at 100°F or more
- 5a normal year
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 173a normal year
- Days that stay below freezing
- 18high of 32°F or less
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals, station USC00425138.
How sunny is it at Little Sahara Rec Area?
Over a year 83% of the sunlight that would reach the ground under clear skies gets through the clouds at Little Sahara Rec Area, 5.0 kWh per square metre a day. September is the sunniest month (89%) and December the cloudiest (69%).
| Month | Share of clear-sky sunshine | Sunshine, kWh/m² a day |
|---|---|---|
| January | 72% | 2.4 |
| February | 72% | 3.2 |
| March | 77% | 4.7 |
| April | 79% | 6.0 |
| May | 83% | 7.1 |
| June | 89% | 8.0 |
| July | 88% | 7.5 |
| August | 88% | 6.8 |
| September | 89% | 5.7 |
| October | 85% | 4.1 |
| November | 78% | 2.7 |
| December | 69% | 2.0 |
Source: NASA POWER solar climatology, 2001-2020 (CERES SYN1deg). Satellite-based, for the 1-degree cell (about 100 km across) around the station, so it describes the area rather than the airport.
How many heating and cooling degree days does Little Sahara Rec Area record?
A normal year at Little Sahara Rec Area brings 6,286 heating degree days, 17% more than the median U.S. place (5,373), and 870 cooling degree days, 4% fewer than the median (908). Seven months need 300 or more heating degree days, a monthly mean of about 55°F or colder. For gardens and crops, NOAA counts 2,923 growing degree days a year above 50°F.
| Month | Heating | Cooling |
|---|---|---|
| January | 1,166 | 0 |
| February | 906 | 0 |
| March | 746 | 0 |
| April | 536 | 1 |
| May | 277 | 20 |
| June | 69 | 141 |
| July | 4 | 341 |
| August | 6 | 288 |
| September | 110 | 77 |
| October | 469 | 2 |
| November | 822 | 0 |
| December | 1,176 | 0 |
| Year (annual) | 6,286 | 870 |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USC00425138. A degree day is one degree of a day's mean temperature below 65°F (heating) or above it (cooling); utilities use them to estimate energy use.
How does Little Sahara Rec Area's climate compare?
Little Sahara Rec Area is warmer than 52 of the 97 places with their own NOAA record in Utah, and wetter than 40. Across the 7,247 U.S. stations with normals, its annual mean of 50.1°F is warmer than 40%.
In the Köppen classification computed from these normals, Little Sahara Rec Area is BSk: cold semi-arid steppe. What the classes mean.
Places with the most similar year elsewhere
Measured month by month on the normal high, low and precipitation, among places of 20,000 or more people in other states:
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 normals for every station PlainClimate covers. Similarity: the root-mean-square difference of the 36 monthly figures, precipitation weighted so an inch counts like 6°F.
Questions about Little Sahara Rec Area's climate
What is the coldest month at Little Sahara Rec Area?
December, with a normal high of 38°F and a normal low of 16°F. The warmest is July (93°F by day, 59°F at night).
Does it snow at Little Sahara Rec Area?
Yes. NOAA publishes no 1991-2020 snowfall normal for the station; the nearest record that keeps one, Oak City (24 miles away), records 33 inches of snow in a normal year.
What is the rainiest month at Little Sahara Rec Area?
May, with 1.49 in of precipitation in a normal year; the driest is July with 0.64 in.
What plant hardiness zone is Little Sahara Rec Area in?
The USDA's 2023 map puts Little Sahara Rec Area in zone 6a in ZIP code 84638, the nearest ZIP area.
How late can frost come at Little Sahara Rec Area?
In half of years the last 32°F night comes after May 15; in one year in ten it comes after June 5. Waiting until June 5 leaves about a one-in-ten chance of a later frost.
Nearby and next
- Utah climateThe statewide normals and every place in the state
- Oak City, UT24 miles from this station, 52.3°F a year
- Nephi, UT25 miles from this station, 50.5°F a year
- Levan, UT26 miles from this station, 50.5°F a year
- Vernon, UT26 miles from this station, 46.9°F a year
- Compare two placesMonth by month, side by side
Download these normals (CSV) · JSON · How these figures are made