Cochetopa Creek, Colorado climate: Climate normals at a NOAA weather station
Cochetopa Creek's normal year runs from −4°F January nights to 80°F July afternoons, with 10.6 inches of precipitation and 54 inches of snow a year. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a yearly mean of 3.3°C, January lows of −20°C, July highs of 26°C, 270 mm of precipitation a year.
- NOAA stationCochetopa Creek
- Station IDUSC00051713
- Location38.44°N 106.76°W
- Elevation8,006 ft (2,440 m)
On October 23, the normal high in Cochetopa Creek is 57°F and the normal low 20°F, and the chance of measurable rain or snow is 19%.
Normals describe a typical year at the station, not a forecast. The National Weather Service forecast for Cochetopa Creek.
- Jan 28° -4°
- Feb 32° 2°
- Mar 44° 14°
- Apr 55° 22°
- May 65° 29°
- Jun 75° 36°
- Jul 80° 44°
- Aug 78° 42°
- Sep 72° 33°
- Oct 60° 22°
- Nov 44° 11°
- Dec 30° -1°
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 Cochetopa Creek each month?
July is the warmest month, with normal highs of 80°F; January the coldest, with normal lows of −4°F. The most precipitation falls in August (1.52 in), the least in November (0.58 in).
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Precip. | Snow | Wet days | 90°F days | Freezing nights | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 28°F | −4°F | 11.6°F | 0.72 | 10.8 | 8 | <1 | 31 | 9 h 50 min |
| February | 32°F | 2°F | 17.2°F | 0.67 | 9.6 | 7 | <1 | 28 | 10 h 40 min |
| March | 44°F | 14°F | 28.9°F | 0.65 | 6.7 | 7 | <1 | 31 | 11 h 50 min |
| April | 55°F | 22°F | 38.4°F | 0.90 | 5.9 | 8 | <1 | 28 | 13 h 10 min |
| May | 65°F | 29°F | 47.0°F | 0.97 | 1.4 | 7 | <1 | 21 | 14 h 10 min |
| June | 75°F | 36°F | 55.8°F | 0.63 | 0.1 | 6 | <1 | 6 | 14 h 50 min |
| July | 80°F | 44°F | 61.6°F | 1.35 | 0.0 | 10 | 1 | <1 | 14 h 40 min |
| August | 78°F | 42°F | 59.8°F | 1.52 | 0.0 | 11 | <1 | 1 | 13 h 40 min |
| September | 72°F | 33°F | 52.5°F | 1.13 | 0.3 | 8 | <1 | 13 | 12 h 30 min |
| October | 60°F | 22°F | 40.9°F | 0.72 | 1.9 | 6 | <1 | 28 | 11 h 20 min |
| November | 44°F | 11°F | 27.7°F | 0.58 | 6.4 | 6 | <1 | 30 | 10 h 10 min |
| December | 30°F | −1°F | 14.5°F | 0.80 | 11.2 | 7 | <1 | 31 | 9 h 30 min |
| Year (annual) | 55°F | 21°F | 38.0°F | 10.64 | 54.3 | 90 | 2 | 246 |
The same normals in °C and millimetres
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Precip. | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | −2°C | −20°C | −11.3°C | 18 mm | 27 cm |
| February | 0°C | −17°C | −8.2°C | 17 mm | 24 cm |
| March | 7°C | −10°C | −1.7°C | 17 mm | 17 cm |
| April | 13°C | −5°C | 3.6°C | 23 mm | 15 cm |
| May | 18°C | −1°C | 8.3°C | 25 mm | 4 cm |
| June | 24°C | 2°C | 13.2°C | 16 mm | 0 cm |
| July | 26°C | 6°C | 16.4°C | 34 mm | 0 cm |
| August | 25°C | 5°C | 15.4°C | 39 mm | 0 cm |
| September | 22°C | 1°C | 11.4°C | 29 mm | 1 cm |
| October | 15°C | −5°C | 4.9°C | 18 mm | 5 cm |
| November | 7°C | −11°C | −2.4°C | 15 mm | 16 cm |
| December | −1°C | −18°C | −9.7°C | 20 mm | 28 cm |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USC00051713; 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 Cochetopa Creek?
Normal highs sit between 65°F and 85°F in June, July, August and September. Of those, June has the fewest days with rain (6).
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 USC00051713.
When is the last frost at Cochetopa Creek?
In Cochetopa Creek, the last spring frost (32°F) comes after June 21 in half of years and after July 7 in one year in ten; the first autumn frost comes before September 5 in half of years and before August 21 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
- June 211 year in 10 after July 7; 9 in 10 after June 7
- First autumn frost, half of years before
- September 51 year in 10 before August 21; 9 in 10 before September 16
NOAA puts the median frost-free season at 74 days, and the season without a hard freeze (28°F) at 100 days.
A hard freeze (28°F) comes after June 7 in half of springs and before September 16 in half of autumns.
The USDA's 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Cochetopa Creek in zone 4b in ZIP code 81239, the nearest ZIP area. By the map's own method, the average of each year's coldest night over 1991-2020, the station is in zone 4b: the coldest night of a typical year reaches −23°F (29 complete years).
Frost dates for every NOAA station in Colorado · Frost dates by ZIP code
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals (frost probabilities), station USC00051713; USDA 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map, ZIP listings: PRISM Group, Oregon State University, https://prism.oregonstate.edu, accessed October 8, 2026; the station zone: ACIS daily lows, 1991-2020. 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 Cochetopa Creek?
In a normal year in Cochetopa Creek, 2 days a year reach 90°F, 246 nights fall to 32°F or colder and 90 days bring measurable precipitation.
- Days at 90°F or more
- 2a normal year
- Days at 100°F or more
- fewer than 1a normal year
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 246a normal year
- Days that stay below freezing
- 54high of 32°F or less
- Days with 0.01 inch of precipitation
- 90a normal year
- Days with 1 inch of snow or more
- 22a normal year
The highest temperature in this station's record (since 1947) is 94°F, on July 14, 2002; the lowest is −40°F, on January 6, 1971.
The wettest calendar year on that record is 1969, with 17.82 in; the snowiest season is 1983–84, with 101.5 inches.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals, station USC00051713; records: ACIS (NOAA Regional Climate Centers), station USC00051713. Records use complete months only; a month missing more than three days is left out.
How sunny is it at Cochetopa Creek?
Over a year 78% of the sunlight that would reach the ground under clear skies gets through the clouds at Cochetopa Creek, 5.0 kWh per square metre a day. March is the sunniest month (82%) and May the cloudiest (74%).
| Month | Share of clear-sky sunshine | Sunshine, kWh/m² a day |
|---|---|---|
| January | 80% | 2.9 |
| February | 78% | 3.8 |
| March | 82% | 5.3 |
| April | 76% | 6.1 |
| May | 74% | 6.6 |
| June | 82% | 7.5 |
| July | 75% | 6.6 |
| August | 76% | 6.0 |
| September | 81% | 5.4 |
| October | 82% | 4.2 |
| November | 80% | 3.0 |
| December | 79% | 2.5 |
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 Cochetopa Creek record?
A normal year at Cochetopa Creek brings 9,832 heating degree days, 83% more than the median U.S. place (5,373), and 14 cooling degree days, 99% fewer than the median (908). Nine months need 300 or more heating degree days, a monthly mean of about 55°F or colder. For gardens and crops, NOAA counts 1,014 growing degree days a year above 50°F.
| Month | Heating | Cooling |
|---|---|---|
| January | 1,654 | 0 |
| February | 1,340 | 0 |
| March | 1,121 | 0 |
| April | 798 | 0 |
| May | 558 | 0 |
| June | 277 | 1 |
| July | 116 | 9 |
| August | 163 | 3 |
| September | 375 | 0 |
| October | 746 | 0 |
| November | 1,119 | 0 |
| December | 1,565 | 0 |
| Year (annual) | 9,832 | 14 |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USC00051713. 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.
Have recent years at Cochetopa Creek been warmer than normal?
2025 averaged 40.3°F, 2.3°F above the 1991-2020 normal of 38.0°F. 2 of the 3 complete years since 2023 ran warmer than the normal.
| Year | Mean | Against normal | Precip. | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 37.9°F | −0.1°F | 7.82 | 50.3 |
| 2024 | 39.6°F | +1.6°F | 14.70 | 71.0 |
| 2025 | 40.3°F | +2.3°F | 7.80 | 39.4 |
Over 68 complete years from 1949 to 2025, the station's annual mean temperature rose at a fitted 2.9°F per century (+0.16°C per decade). A fitted rate summarizes the whole record; single years swing well above and below it.
Source: observed years: ACIS, station USC00051713; trend: NOAA GHCN-Monthly v4. A year counts only with all twelve months complete.
How does Cochetopa Creek's climate compare?
Cochetopa Creek is warmer than 11 of the 125 places with their own NOAA record in Colorado, and wetter than 16. Across the 7,247 U.S. stations with normals, its annual mean of 38.0°F is warmer than 3%.
In the Köppen classification computed from these normals, Cochetopa Creek is Dfb: continental, no dry season, warm summer. 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 Cochetopa Creek's climate
What is the coldest month at Cochetopa Creek?
January, with a normal high of 28°F and a normal low of −4°F. The warmest is July (80°F by day, 44°F at night).
Does it snow at Cochetopa Creek?
Yes: 54 inches in a normal year, falling on 41 days with 0.1 inch or more, the most in December (11.2 inches).
What is the rainiest month at Cochetopa Creek?
August, with 1.52 in of precipitation in a normal year; the driest is November with 0.58 in.
What plant hardiness zone is Cochetopa Creek in?
The USDA's 2023 map puts Cochetopa Creek in zone 4b in ZIP code 81239, the nearest ZIP area. By the same method at the station, the coldest night of a typical year reaches −23°F (29 years, 1991-2020): zone 4b.
How late can frost come at Cochetopa Creek?
In half of years the last 32°F night comes after June 21; in one year in ten it comes after July 7. Waiting until July 7 leaves about a one-in-ten chance of a later frost.
Nearby and next
- Colorado climateThe statewide normals and every place in the state
- Gunnison, CO12 miles from this station, 37.7°F a year
- Sargents, CO19 miles from this station, 36.9°F a year
- Blue Mesa Lake, CO22 miles from this station, 39.7°F a year
- Taylor Park, CO27 miles from this station, 34.5°F a year
- Compare two placesMonth by month, side by side
Download these normals (CSV) · JSON · How these figures are made