Black Canyon of The Gunnison, CO Climate: Temperature & Rain by Month
Average temperature and precipitation from NOAA NCEI 1991–2020 normals →, with a derived climate comfort score
30-year climate normals (1991-2020) from Black Canyon of The Gunnison's primary NOAA station, BLACK CANYON OF THE GUNNISON.
The climate verdict for Black Canyon of The Gunnison
Dryness leads the climate profile for Black Canyon of The Gunnison, Colorado, with 19.9 inches of precipitation a year. NOAA records an annual average of 45°F. At 52/100 (moderate) the climate comfort score falls in the bottom third of the station-mapped U.S. score corpus, exceeding only 24% of scores.
- 45°F
- average temperature, NOAA 1991-2020 normal
- 52/100
- comfort score, above 24% of station-mapped location scores
- 19.9"
- annual precipitation
- 131 days
- frost-free days per growing season
Black Canyon of The Gunnison: NOAA 1991-2020 normals describe a typical year, not a forecast. Method: /methodology.
Normals record plate
Sheet USC00050754 · Black Canyon of The Gunnison, CO 45°F mean · 19.9" precip
TEMP-COOL · RANK-COOL · PHOTO-FINISH · PRCP-DRY · SWING-MID · COMF-LOW · LOAD-HEAT · STN-1 · BOOK-FULL
- TEMP-COOL 45°F
- RANK-COOL #1,372
- PHOTO-FINISH ≈ Gibbs Rch - Jar…
- PRCP-DRY 19.9"
- SWING-MID 43°F
- COMF-LOW 52/100
- LOAD-HEAT 7,403 HDD
- STN-1 USC00050754
- BOOK-FULL 6/6 fields
Nearest mean-temperature peer: Gibbs Rch - Jarbidge, NV (+ 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 CO station list.
- Black Canyon of… (this station) 45°F
- Cold Mullan, ID 45°F
- Hot Murphy (desert)…, ID 45°F
- Near Gibbs Rch - Jar…, NV 45°F
- Near Nye, MT 45°F
Climate Living Index · Black Canyon of The Gunnison
Black Canyon of The Gunnison: 24/100 · grade F
Black Canyon of The Gunnison publishes 4 of 6 Living Index dimensions (NOAA annual/seasonal normals · NOAA daily multivariate normals); 2 missing weights rescale to 100.
PlainClimate-derived for Black Canyon of The Gunnison, not an official NOAA rating. Rankings still use Comfort Score 52/100 (separate formula). Breakpoints and limits.
| Dimension | Station value | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Precipitation balance | 19.9 in · 15.1 from 35 in | 47/100 · D |
| Annual temperature balance | 45.2°F · 22.3° from 67.5°F | 20/100 · F |
| Normal heat + freeze calendar | 192 calendar days | 18/100 · F |
| Frost-free season | 131 days/year | 13/100 · F |
Black Canyon of The Gunnison · 2026-08-04 · NOAA NCEI Climate Normals · method · Comfort Score method.
Black Canyon of The Gunnison is a continental Köppen climate: Dfb
Coldest-month mean 24.4°F and warmest-month mean 67.3°F place this station in continental, no dry season, warm summer climates (Dfb). Class Dfb is the Peel et al. (2007) label for this station's monthly mean temperature and precipitation normals: continental, specifically continental, no dry season, warm summer.
- Köppen code
- Dfb
- Group
- Continental
- Warmest month
- 67.3°F
- Coldest month
- 24.4°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 Black Canyon of The Gunnison sits across the climate record
Three NOAA fields for Black Canyon of The Gunnison's primary station, temperature, precipitation, and seasonal swing, are ranked against every station-mapped normal that carries the same field.
- Annual temperature
- Cooler than 80%
- Among 6,861 stations, Black Canyon of The Gunnison sits in the cooler third of annual means.
- Annual precipitation
- Drier than 72%
- Black Canyon of The Gunnison's annual total ranks in the drier third of 6,352 measured normals.
- Seasonal temperature swing
- 48th percentile swing
- Typical seasonal amplitude versus 6,861 complete station-years.
How Black Canyon of The Gunnison compares across U.S. station-mapped locations
Black Canyon of The Gunnison's comfort score vs. all station-mapped locations
PlainClimate composite comfort index (1–100), NOAA 1991–2020 normals
52 24th percentile score exceeds 24% 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%). Below this entry.
- 40–50: 1,113 station-mapped locations (18%). Below this entry.
- 50–60: 1,329 station-mapped locations (21%). This entry sits in this band.
- 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
Monthly Temperatures
Average daily high and low temperatures by month
| Month | Avg High | Avg Low | Mean | Precip | Freeze Days | 90°F+ Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 37°F (3°C) | 13°F (-11°C) | 25°F (-4°C) | 1.7" | 31.0 | 0.0 |
| February | 40°F (4°C) | 16°F (-9°C) | 28°F (-2°C) | 1.7" | 27.6 | 0.0 |
| March | 49°F (9°C) | 23°F (-5°C) | 36°F (2°C) | 2.0" | 28.5 | 0.0 |
| April | 56°F (13°C) | 29°F (-1°C) | 43°F (6°C) | 1.8" | 22.0 | 0.0 |
| May | 66°F (19°C) | 38°F (3°C) | 52°F (11°C) | 1.6" | 10.0 | 0.0 |
| June | 76°F (25°C) | 46°F (8°C) | 61°F (16°C) | 0.7" | 1.4 | 0.6 |
| July | 82°F (28°C) | 53°F (11°C) | 67°F (20°C) | 1.6" | 0.0 | 2.8 |
| August | 81°F (27°C) | 52°F (11°C) | 66°F (19°C) | 1.7" | 0.1 | 2.0 |
| September | 72°F (22°C) | 44°F (7°C) | 58°F (15°C) | 2.1" | 2.8 | 0.2 |
| October | 60°F (16°C) | 33°F (0°C) | 46°F (8°C) | 1.9" | 17.5 | 0.0 |
| November | 47°F (8°C) | 23°F (-5°C) | 35°F (2°C) | 1.5" | 27.4 | 0.0 |
| December | 36°F (2°C) | 13°F (-10°C) | 24°F (-4°C) | 1.5" | 30.9 | 0.0 |
The year, day by day
Summer here tops out rather than builds: the warmest normal high is 83°F around July 22, short of 90°F on every date, while 192 dates carry a normal low at or below freezing, the coldest 12°F near December 24.
The freezing stretch
The normal low stays at or below 32°F into April 26, then returns to freezing around October 18, covering 192 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.
The widest day
June 22 carries the biggest normal gap between afternoon and dawn, 30°F between the normal high and the normal low.
Look up any date
Any date's 1991–2020 normal for Black Canyon of The Gunnison.
Where Black Canyon of The Gunnison Stands Nationally
Freezing is routine here by normals standards — the normal low reaches 32°F or colder on about 192 nights a year, more than most ranked stations.
Black Canyon of The Gunnison earns one nationally notable standing (outer quintile) against 6,860 NOAA 1991–2020 normals stations, middle-of-the-pack metrics stay silent here.
Monthly Precipitation
Average monthly rainfall
Black Canyon of The Gunnison spreads its precipitation across the year
Neither half of the year dominates here: June through August take 20% of the annual total and December through February 25%, with neither reaching the 35% that would mark a distinct wet season. Black Canyon of The Gunnison has no dry season to plan around, though it does carry a 42.9°F seasonal spread.
The gap between the wettest and driest month still matters: September averages 2.1" and June 0.7". The three wettest months together take 30% 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.
Frost Dates & Growing Season
First Fall Freeze
October 1
50% probability date
Last Spring Freeze
May 23
50% probability date
Growing Season
131 days
Heating & Cooling Degree Days
Annual totals indicate energy demand for heating and cooling
Heating Degree Days
7,403
Higher = more heating needed
Cooling Degree Days
212
Higher = more cooling needed
Warmest Month
July
Coldest Month
December
Nationwide similar cities
Other rankable U.S. places outside CO closest to Black Canyon of The Gunnison 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 (45°F here).
- Albert Lea, MN 45°F · 0.0°F off
- Brillion, WI 45°F · 0.0°F off
- Easton, WA 45°F · 0.0°F off
- Freeville, NY 45°F · 0.0°F off
Closest by annual precipitation
Nearest out-of-state peers by annual precipitation (19.9" here), excluding temperature-peer places.
- Nezperce, ID 20.0" · 0.0" off
- Whitefish, MT 19.9" · 0.0" off
- Big Bear Lake, CA 20.0" · 0.0" off
- Colville, WA 19.9" · 0.1" off
Data-derived climate profile
How Black Canyon of The Gunnison's climate pattern fits together
heating led · dry · mid swing
Black Canyon of The Gunnison's energy balance leans toward cold weather: 7,403 annual heating degree days against 212 for cooling. Its 42.9°F seasonal range still makes the monthly rows more useful than the annual average alone.
Only about 131 days are frost-free in a normal year. That short interval is consistent with the cold-season signal, but the measure does not predict the exact first or last freeze in any one year.
July and December mark the typical warm and cold ends of the calendar in Black Canyon of The Gunnison's middle-range seasonal profile. The measured spread is 42.9°F. The annual average is 45°F. Neither the annual mean nor one extreme month represents the full calendar on its own.
Black Canyon of The Gunnison's cold-season load does not imply a wet climate. Annual precipitation is 19.9 inches, which places the station in PlainClimate's dry range. Snowfall is not added to the interpretation because its annual value is missing. The snowfall and rainfall fields should be read separately rather than inferred from temperature.
These labels group NOAA 1991-2020 normals from Black Canyon of The Gunnison's primary station, so the winter figures are a thirty-year average and not a floor: a single hard season can run well below them. Treat each band as a descriptive range for Black Canyon of The Gunnison, not an official NOAA class or a year-ahead forecast.
Questions about Black Canyon of The Gunnison's climate
How much rain does Black Canyon of The Gunnison get? ▼
How cold does Black Canyon of The Gunnison get in winter? ▼
How much energy does heating and cooling require in Black Canyon of The Gunnison? ▼
Data Sources
Data source: NOAA U.S. Climate Normals v1.0.1 (1991-2020). All figures on this page are from Black Canyon of The Gunnison's primary station: BLACK CANYON OF THE GUNNISON (USC00050754). For informational purposes only.
Place identity: U.S. Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer places. The conservative exact name-and-state crosswalk finds no Census place match, so PlainClimate treats this as a station-mapped location and does not claim it is a municipality. No exact Gazetteer row for Black Canyon of The Gunnison; facility counts that depend on place identity are therefore an upper bound, not a municipal census.
On this page every temperature, precipitation, and derived score for Black Canyon of The Gunnison 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.