Denver, CO Climate: Temperature & Rain by Month
Explore NOAA NCEI's 1991–2020 climate normals → and a clearly labeled PlainClimate comfort calculation
30-year climate normals (1991-2020) from Denver's primary NOAA station, DENVER INTL AP.
The climate verdict for Denver
Dryness leads the climate profile for Denver, Colorado, with 14.5 inches of precipitation a year. NOAA records an annual average of 51°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.
- 51°F
- yearly average temperature, NOAA normal
- 52/100
- comfort score, above 24% of station-mapped location scores
- 14.5"
- annual precipitation
- 157 days
- frost-free growing season
Denver: NOAA 1991-2020 normals describe a typical year, not a forecast. Method: /methodology.
Normals record plate
Sheet USW00003017 · Denver, CO 51°F mean · 14.5" precip
TEMP-COOL · RANK-MID · PHOTO-FINISH · PRCP-DRY · SWING-MID · COMF-LOW · LOAD-HEAT · STN-1 · BOOK-FULL
- TEMP-COOL 51°F
- RANK-MID #3,156
- PHOTO-FINISH ≈ Jamestown
- PRCP-DRY 14.5"
- SWING-MID 44°F
- COMF-LOW 52/100
- LOAD-HEAT 5,862 HDD
- STN-1 USW00003017
- BOOK-FULL 6/6 fields
Nearest mean-temperature peer: Jamestown, IN (+ 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.
- Denver (this station) 51°F
- Cold Champaign, IL 51°F
- Hot Farmland, IN 51°F
- Near Jamestown, IN 51°F
- Near Urbana Wwtp, OH 51°F
Climate Living Index · Denver
Denver: 40/100 · grade D
Denver publishes 5 of 6 Living Index dimensions (NOAA annual/seasonal normals · NOAA daily multivariate normals · NOAA hourly normals); 1 missing weight rescale to 100.
PlainClimate-derived for Denver, not an official NOAA rating. Rankings still use Comfort Score 52/100 (separate formula). Breakpoints and limits.
| Dimension | Station value | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Summer moisture balance | 46.9°F mean dew point | 77/100 · B |
| Annual temperature balance | 51.2°F · 16.3° from 67.5°F | 46/100 · D |
| Frost-free season | 157 days/year | 31/100 · F |
| Precipitation balance | 14.5 in · 20.5 from 35 in | 26/100 · F |
| Normal heat + freeze calendar | 180 calendar days | 25/100 · F |
Denver · 2026-08-04 · NOAA NCEI Climate Normals · method · Comfort Score method.
Denver's normals sit in a dry climate class: BSk
Precipitation is low relative to temperature but above true desert thresholds: cold semi-arid steppe (BSk). Class BSk is the Peel et al. (2007) label for this station's monthly mean temperature and precipitation normals: dry (arid or semi-arid), specifically cold semi-arid steppe.
- Köppen code
- BSk
- Group
- Dry (arid or semi-arid)
- Warmest month
- 75.1°F
- Coldest month
- 31.2°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 Denver sits across the climate record
Three NOAA fields for Denver's primary station, temperature, precipitation, and seasonal swing, are ranked against every station-mapped normal that carries the same field.
- Annual temperature
- 46th percentile warmth
- Mid-pack annual mean versus 6,861 station normals.
- Annual precipitation
- Drier than 84%
- Denver's annual total ranks in the drier third of 6,352 measured normals.
- Seasonal temperature swing
- 53rd percentile swing
- Typical seasonal amplitude versus 6,861 complete station-years.
How Denver compares across U.S. station-mapped locations
Denver'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
Denver's measured station temperature trend
MethodologyAcross 30 complete annual observations from 1996 to 2025, DENVER INTL AP warmed at a fitted rate of 0.24°C per decade. The line shows the fitted change relative to its first year, not raw year-to-year temperatures or a forecast.
- Denver primary station fitted change +0.24 °C/decade
Monthly Temperatures
Average daily high and low temperatures by month
| Month | Avg High | Avg Low | Mean | Precip | Freeze Days | 90°F+ Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 45°F (7°C) | 19°F (-7°C) | 32°F (0°C) | 0.4" | 29.0 | 0.0 |
| February | 46°F (8°C) | 20°F (-7°C) | 33°F (0°C) | 0.4" | 26.1 | 0.0 |
| March | 56°F (13°C) | 28°F (-2°C) | 42°F (5°C) | 0.9" | 23.2 | 0.0 |
| April | 62°F (17°C) | 34°F (1°C) | 48°F (9°C) | 1.7" | 13.2 | 0.0 |
| May | 71°F (22°C) | 44°F (6°C) | 57°F (14°C) | 2.2" | 2.9 | 0.8 |
| June | 83°F (29°C) | 53°F (12°C) | 68°F (20°C) | 1.9" | 0.0 | 8.6 |
| July | 90°F (32°C) | 60°F (16°C) | 75°F (24°C) | 2.1" | 0.0 | 18.8 |
| August | 88°F (31°C) | 58°F (15°C) | 73°F (23°C) | 1.6" | 0.0 | 13.8 |
| September | 80°F (26°C) | 50°F (10°C) | 65°F (18°C) | 1.4" | 0.7 | 4.2 |
| October | 65°F (19°C) | 37°F (3°C) | 51°F (11°C) | 1.0" | 9.2 | 0.0 |
| November | 53°F (12°C) | 26°F (-3°C) | 39°F (4°C) | 0.6" | 22.7 | 0.0 |
| December | 44°F (7°C) | 18°F (-8°C) | 31°F (0°C) | 0.3" | 29.2 | 0.0 |
The year, day by day
Denver works both ends of the calendar. Normal highs climb to 91°F by July 17 and hold at or above 90°F on 19 dates, then normal lows drop to freezing or below on 161 dates, bottoming at 18°F around December 19.
When the heat sits
Normal highs reach 90°F from July 11 through July 29, covering 19 dates. The broader mild season, normal highs of 70°F or more, runs May 14 to October 5.
This counts calendar dates whose 1991–2020 normal high reaches 90°F. It is a smaller number than the 90°F+ day counts in the monthly table above, which measure how often the threshold was actually crossed in a typical year. A date can average 88°F and still exceed 90°F in half of all years.
The freezing stretch
The normal low stays at or below 32°F into April 6, then returns to freezing around October 29, covering 161 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.
Where the wet dates fall
The likeliest wet date is May 18, when 33% of years recorded at least a hundredth of an inch. The driest is January 2 at 14%. Summed across the calendar, that is about 80 wet dates a year.
The widest day
June 21 carries the biggest normal gap between afternoon and dawn, 31°F between the normal high and the normal low.
Look up any date
Any date's 1991–2020 normal for Denver.
Where Denver Stands Nationally
A drier-than-most normal water year — around 15 inches, below what four out of five ranked stations collect.
Denver 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
4.4 days with precipitation
5.5 days with precipitation
6.2 days with precipitation
9.0 days with precipitation
10.4 days with precipitation
8.1 days with precipitation
8.3 days with precipitation
7.5 days with precipitation
6.0 days with precipitation
5.3 days with precipitation
4.6 days with precipitation
4.4 days with precipitation
Denver runs a summer-peaked wet season
39% of Denver's yearly precipitation falls in June, July and August alone, against the 25% an evenly spread year would give those three months. The wettest month is May at 2.2", on a 43.9°F seasonal spread. Warm-season convection and, across the Southwest, the North American monsoon produce this shape: rain arrives in short heavy bursts during the hottest part of the year rather than as long cool-season soaking.
- Wettest three months: May, July, June, taking 43% of the annual total between them.
- Driest month: December at 0.3".
- Winter share: 8% falls in December, January and February.
Shares are computed from this station's own 1991-2020 monthly precipitation normals. A summer-peaked label means the June-August share reaches 35%; it describes timing across an average year, not any single season, and says nothing about how heavy an individual storm can be.
Denver is dry, and what does fall arrives gently
Only about 80 days a year record measurable precipitation here, 22% of the calendar, and they carry 14.5" between them. At roughly 0.18 inches on an average wet day, this is not the damp drizzle of a marine climate; it is an arid record in which precipitation is both uncommon and light when it appears.
The wettest month by count is May at about 10 wet days; the driest is January at about 4.
A low per-event average in a dry record is a statement about typical days only. Arid regions can still take a large share of a year's total from a single convective storm, which a normal cannot show.
A wet day is one recording at least 0.01 inches. These are 1991-2020 normals: they describe an average year, not the extremes within it.
Frost Dates & Growing Season
First Fall Freeze
October 9
50% probability date
Last Spring Freeze
May 5
50% probability date
Growing Season
157 days
Heating & Cooling Degree Days
Annual totals indicate energy demand for heating and cooling
Heating Degree Days
5,862
Higher = more heating needed
Cooling Degree Days
850
Higher = more cooling needed
Warmest Month
July
Coldest Month
December
Humidity & Wind
Monthly averages from hourly observations
| Month | Humidity | Wind (mph) | Clear Sky % | Overcast % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 53% | 9.7 | N/A | N/A |
| February | 47% | 10.6 | N/A | N/A |
| March | 47% | 11.3 | 9% | 17% |
| April | 49% | 11.0 | 4% | 23% |
| May | 50% | 10.3 | 2% | 13% |
| June | 41% | 10.0 | 8% | 5% |
| July | 47% | 9.3 | 4% | 7% |
| August | 42% | 9.5 | 7% | 6% |
| September | 44% | 9.4 | 12% | 11% |
| October | 47% | 9.5 | N/A | N/A |
| November | 49% | 9.6 | 5% | 13% |
| December | 52% | 9.6 | N/A | N/A |
Nationwide similar cities
Other rankable U.S. places outside CO closest to Denver 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 (51°F here).
- Bellingham, WA 51°F · 0.0°F off
- Bloomfield, IA 51°F · 0.0°F off
- Burlington, IA 51°F · 0.0°F off
- Chicago, IL 51°F · 0.0°F off
Closest by annual precipitation
Nearest out-of-state peers by annual precipitation (14.5" here), excluding temperature-peer places.
- Cliff, NM 14.5" · 0.0" off
- Douglas, WY 14.5" · 0.0" off
- Circle, MT 14.4" · 0.0" off
- Culbertson, MT 14.5" · 0.0" off
Scarce-water calendar
Where Denver's limited precipitation lands
heating led · dry · mid swing
Denver's energy balance leans toward cold weather: 5,862 annual heating degree days against 850 for cooling. Its 43.9°F seasonal range still makes the monthly rows more useful than the annual average alone.
Denver's frost-free season lasts about 157 days, a middle-length window whose endpoints matter more than the annual average. It describes freeze probability, not year-specific planting conditions.
July and December mark the typical warm and cold ends of the calendar in Denver's middle-range seasonal profile. The measured spread is 43.9°F. The annual average is 51°F. Neither the annual mean nor one extreme month represents the full calendar on its own.
Denver's cold-season load does not imply a wet climate. Annual precipitation is 14.5 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.
Denver wettest normal
May
May concentrates the scarce annual total (14.5 inches).
Denver driest normal
December
December is typically driest; arid stations are defined by when water is absent, not by a four-season grid.
Questions about Denver's climate
How dry is Denver? ▼
How many days above 90°F does Denver get? ▼
How much energy does heating and cooling require in Denver? ▼
Data Sources
Data source: NOAA U.S. Climate Normals v1.0.1 (1991-2020). All figures on this page are from Denver's primary station: DENVER INTL AP (USW00003017). For informational purposes only.
Place identity: U.S. Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer places. The 2024 Census Gazetteer identifies the exact name-and-state match as an incorporated place (GEOID 0820000). Match rule for Denver: exact normalized name + state only, no fuzzy expansion, so nearby differently spelled facilities stay unmatched.
On this page every temperature, precipitation, and derived score for Denver 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.