Zion National Park Weather: 12 Month Breakdown

I want to share my personal experiences with the Zion National Park weather after having traveled there at least 6 times over the past few years and all those times going during different months.

Obviously if you’re looking at this topic, you’re likely looking to either go to Zion National Park in the future or are possibly in the vicinity and just wondering what type of weather to expect when you go. Either way, it does fluctuate a lot and I’ll also cover the topic of flash floods, snow and all that sort of stuff, which does happen in Zion, although rarely, so let’s it break it down:

Let’s start with the seasons in Zion National Park and what to expect:

Although we have 4 seasons throughout most of the US, in Zion I’d actually narrow it down to 3:

1) The cold season in Zion National Park (November through February):

Typically during that time, it doesn’t get higher than the 70s during the day, but it is freezing there at night (and early morning). If you’re doing any hiking in Zion National Park, this is the kind of weather that would be ideal in my experience.

There are drawbacks though:

You may (rarely) see snow during this period and more cloudy days in general, but there’s a good chance you may experience ice at higher elevation hikes like Angels Landing, making them even more dangerous.

Hikes in lower altitude levels (canyons) are going to be freezing so you will need to wear warmer clothes.

2) The warm season in Zion National Park (March through April):

It’s the shortest is the best for “in the middle weather” conditions. During that time, you will probably see the temperatures get as high as the 90s during the day. This is also when the peak season starts to open up in Zion too (shuttles, crowds, lines, etc…).

I’m personally not a fan of the weather during that time here as popular hikes on high elevations (like Angels Landing), and others including Observation Point, as well as Canyon Overlook are going to be tougher to do.

3) The hot season in Zion National Park (May through mid October and flash flood season):

The temperatures will easily surpass 100 degrees as soon as noon hits. Later in the day (or very early in the morning), they’ll be around the 70s, but it quickly climbs then.

There are also periods between July and September where flash floods may happen as sometimes there storms in these areas, or very far away in other parts of Utah.

The only major advantage going during this time is that more colder hikes involving water, like the Narrows or the Subway are way easier to do in normal hiking gear. Any other season other than this, and the water temperatures are sometimes too cold to handle.

Keeping these 3 seasons in mind (out of the normal 4), you can plan your trip to Zion depending on the type of weather you are more comfortable with. Like I said, I personally prefer the cold seasons but let’s break it down month by month:

Zion National Park weather in January:

Average high: 70F
Average low: 10F

January weather summary:

Most of the times I’ve been to Zion have been in January and the photo above is on one of those trips.

Typically in the morning the weather is literally around 10 degrees (freezing) and you will need to wear extremely warm clothing to pretty much explore any place in Zion. I have a guide on what to wear when hiking in the cold which should help you but understand that it’s ridiculously cold in Zion then. There may also be short blizzards and snow in January in Zion National Park.

I would not do any difficult high elevation hikes in the morning in Zion due to the ice being there (Angels Landing, Observation Point, but Canyon Overlook is good). You can actually do hikes in lower altitude levels, but it’ll be a bit colder there (especially in the canyons) so you will likely need to wear sweaters.

If you’re planning to do the Narrows hike during this time, know it’s possible but I would strongly recommend you rent or buy dry suites that fully protect you from the cold weather and freezing cold water.

The temperatures do rise (slowly) at like I said before, will reach around 70 degrees around the afternoon, and that’s when it’s best to hike. By the time you’re done and probably overheated from it, around 5 pm is when they will start to drop again because it will start to get dark then.

Zion National Park weather in February:

Average high: 75F
Average low: 10F

February weather summary:

There is a very slight change in the conditions during February weather in Zion National Park and February. At most you may see a 5 degree difference in the afternoon weather and temperatures, so again, it’ll be freezing cold in the early morning, relatively warm between the afternoon and 5 pm, then freezing cold again a few hours after (nighttime).

You typically will not get snow during February (although it may happen once or twice).

Zion National Park weather in March:

Average high: 80F
Average low: 10F

March weather summary:

Early March is when you will still experience similar conditions as in February, but by mid March it gets a lot more pleasant in Zion. In the morning, it is usually still either freezing cold or slightly better (10-40 degrees the further into March you go). By mid day, it’s usually around 80-85 degrees in the park.

Nighttime (around 6 pm by that point) is usually in the 60s and 70s. As for weather conditions, most of the days during March are mostly sunny.

Zion National Park weather in April:

Average high: 90F
Average low: 30F

April weather summary:

I would argue that this is the best month for good weather in Zion National Park. In the morning, it is usually chilly (30s-50s), and during the day, you will likely see temperatures reach the 90s. The sun usually sets around 7 pm during these periods so you have more warm/hot weather times to enjoy the hikes without it becoming too extreme.

Zion National Park weather in May:

Average high: 100F
Average low: 70F

May weather summary:

This is when you will hit the hot season in Zion. Early morning (70s) and right around sunset time (80s) is typically when it’s most bearable in this park in my opinion. But during the day, it is easily going to be 100+ degrees throughout this park.

However, like I said earlier, it makes exploring the hikes that would be freezing (like the Narrows), way more fun and without the need to wear too much gear.

Zion National Park weather in June:

Average high: 110F
Average low: 90F

June weather summary:

Basically in June, the weather in Zion National Park is slightly hotter than in May (60s in the morning, 110+ in the day and 80s at night) so the same exact advice applies. I would also highly recommend you bring more water, snacks and wear hats throughout your hikes and travels inside Zion during this time.

The other thing to note is that the sun usually sets around 8 pm in June giving you more daylight time to explore the hikes there. Most of the weather during June is clear in Zion.

Zion National Park weather in July:

Average high: 110F
Average low: 80F

July weather summary:

Basically everything June weather is exactly the same in July. There is an add on though:

Flash flood season technically starts then too. So if you are doing hikes in the Narrows, you should check the Zion NPS site here to make sure it’s safe.

Zion National Park weather in August:

Average high: 110F
Average low: 70F

August weather summary:

There is also a risk of flash floods then, and in terms of temperatures, 70s in the morning, 110+ in the afternoon but if it rains (which is rare), slightly less. Same kind of sunset time (8pm).

Note: I would say that if you’re doing hikes in June-August, that you should only do the high elevation ones as early as you can before it gets too hot, and stick to doing the lower elevation hikes (with water) during the afternoon and daytime.

Zion National Park weather in September:

Average high: 90F
Average low: 60F

September weather summary:

The temperatures do start to go down a little bit from the June-August peak season here, but not by much. You’re looking at 60s weather in the morning, 90-100 during the day and 70s at night. This is also post flash flood season (but there’s always a risk so be careful). But at the same time, for weather, just about everyday in Zion during September is very clear and sunny.

Zion National Park weather in October:

Average high: 90F
Average low: 60F

October weather summary:

Slightly colder temperatures and conditions than in September. 60s during the day, 90s at daytime and 70s at nighttime. You will also start to see a faster sunset time around 6 pm again. During this period, the weather is OK in my opinion for hiking but if you do the Narrows, I would start to consider wearing warmer clothing, maybe waterproof socks.

Zion National Park weather in November (best time for autumn colors):

Average high: 70F
Average low: 20F

November weather summary:

My last trip in Zion was actually in early November 2022 and I loved it. In the morning it was actually freezing cold (20s) but during the day it was in the 60s which made it perfect for hiking in the park. Nighttime was around 5:30 pm and it would be around 40-50 degrees then.

A big reason I loved my experience in Zion during that time was because peak fall foliage started to happen there and it was easily seen all throughout the park. I also have more fall foliage photos of Zion National Park here.

Zion National Park weather in December:

Average high: 60F
Average low: 10F

December weather summary:

Basically it’s the same exact conditions as in January. There’s chances of rare snow, but you will certainly see ice on high elevation trails. When it does snow in Zion, it usually disappears in 1-2 days, unless there’s another blizzard that rolls in.

Everything else in terms of freezing weather in the morning, cold during the day and freezing at night still applies.

Note: Here is a daily report for Zion National Park weather. Just as well, if you’re looking for a Zion weather chart, I’ve included that too.