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Park Information : Yellowstone Seasons

Check the table below for each season's average daytime and nighttime temperatures, as well as some good and bad factors to consider.


Weather in Yellowstone: When's a Good Time to Visit?

AUTUMN

WINTER

SPRING

SUMMER

Lamar Buffalo Ranch Bison on Geyser Hill Tower Fall Paintbrush at Dunraven Pass
Months:
Sept. - early Oct.
Daytime:
40s - 60s °F (5-20°C)
Nighttime:
freezing and below
Months:
mid-Oct. - April
Daytime:
around freezing to
well below
Nighttime:
usually freezing, often below 0°F
Months:
May, June
Daytime:
50s & 60s °F
(teens °C)
Nighttime:
30s °F (0-10°C)
Months:
July, Aug.
Daytime:
70s - low 80s °F
(20s °C)
Nighttime:
40s & below °F
(below 8°C)
PROS:
Fewer visitors
Elk gathering in herds and bugling
Aspen turn golden
PROS:
Cross-country skiing
Ice-encrusted "ghost" trees
Animals gather near roads
Snowmobiling
PROS:
Baby animals numerous
Wildflowers at lower elevations
Waterfalls at their peak
PROS:
Wildflowers everywhere
Drier trails
Ripening berries
Clear, starlit nights
Great fishing
CONS:
Cold nights
Greater chance of rain & snow
CONS:
Extreme cold
Heavy snows and severe storms
Most roads are closed to cars
Too many snowmobiles
CONS:
Some mountain passes closed
Biting insects common
Meadows flooded, streams very high
CONS:
Peak numbers of visitors
Late afternoon thunderstorms
Hordes of grasshoppers in dry years


Copyright 2000–2008. All Rights Reserved.

Photos on this page are by Janet Chapple, unless otherwise indicated. Autumn is represented by the view from the Lamar Buffalo Ranch, Winter by a bison on Geyser Hill, Spring by Tower Fall from its base, and Summer by paintbrush flowers seen at Dunraven Pass (photo by Bruno Giletti).


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