Dinosaur National Monument, CO Climate: Temperature & Rain by Month
Temperature and precipitation from NOAA NCEI 1991–2020 normals →, plus PlainClimate's derived comfort score
30-year climate normals (1991-2020) from Dinosaur National Monument's primary NOAA station, DINOSAUR NM.
The climate verdict for Dinosaur National Monument
Dryness leads the climate profile for Dinosaur National Monument, Colorado, with 10.7 inches of precipitation a year. NOAA records an annual average of 47°F. At 49/100 (moderate) the climate comfort score falls in the bottom third of the station-mapped U.S. score corpus, exceeding only 18% of scores.
- 47°F
- yearly average temperature, NOAA normal
- 49/100
- comfort score, above 18% of station-mapped location scores
- 10.7"
- annual precipitation · 26" snow
- 146 days
- growing season, frost-free days
Dinosaur National Monument: NOAA 1991-2020 normals describe a typical year, not a forecast. Method: /methodology.
Normals record plate
Sheet USC00052286 · Dinosaur National Monument, CO 47°F mean · 10.7" precip
TEMP-COOL · RANK-COOL · PHOTO-FINISH · PRCP-ARID · SWING-WIDE · COMF-LOW · LOAD-HEAT · STN-1 · BOOK-FULL
- TEMP-COOL 47°F
- RANK-COOL #1,921
- PHOTO-FINISH ≈ Oconomowoc Wwtp
- PRCP-ARID 10.7"
- SWING-WIDE 52°F
- COMF-LOW 49/100
- LOAD-HEAT 7,090 HDD
- STN-1 USC00052286
- BOOK-FULL 6/6 fields
Nearest mean-temperature peer: Oconomowoc Wwtp, WI (+ 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.
- Dinosaur Nation… (this station) 47°F
- Cold Brigham City, UT 47°F
- Hot UW Arboretum -…, WI 47°F
- Near Oconomowoc Wwtp, WI 47°F
- Near Dubuque Rgnl, IA 47°F
Climate Living Index · Dinosaur National Monument
Dinosaur National Monument: 28/100 · grade F
Dinosaur National Monument publishes 5 of 6 Living Index dimensions (NOAA annual/seasonal normals · NOAA daily multivariate normals); 1 missing weight rescale to 100.
PlainClimate-derived for Dinosaur National Monument, not an official NOAA rating. Rankings still use Comfort Score 49/100 (separate formula). Breakpoints and limits.
| Dimension | Station value | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Snowfall burden | 26.1 inches/year | 42/100 · D |
| Normal heat + freeze calendar | 170 calendar days | 32/100 · F |
| Annual temperature balance | 47.2°F · 20.3° from 67.5°F | 28/100 · F |
| Frost-free season | 146 days/year | 22/100 · F |
| Precipitation balance | 10.7 in · 24.3 from 35 in | 14/100 · F |
Dinosaur National Monument · 2026-08-04 · NOAA NCEI Climate Normals · method · Comfort Score method.
Dinosaur National Monument'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
- 73.4°F
- Coldest month
- 21.1°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 Dinosaur National Monument sits across the climate record
Three NOAA fields for Dinosaur National Monument's primary station, temperature, precipitation, and seasonal swing, are ranked against every station-mapped normal that carries the same field.
- Annual temperature
- Cooler than 72%
- Among 6,861 stations, Dinosaur National Monument sits in the cooler third of annual means.
- Annual precipitation
- Drier than 92%
- Dinosaur National Monument's annual total ranks in the drier third of 6,352 measured normals.
- Seasonal temperature swing
- Wider than 87%
- Warmest-to-coldest month gap for Dinosaur National Monument is large versus 6,861 complete station-years.
How Dinosaur National Monument compares across U.S. station-mapped locations
Dinosaur National Monument's comfort score vs. all station-mapped locations
PlainClimate composite comfort index (1–100), NOAA 1991–2020 normals
49 18th percentile score exceeds 18% 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%). This entry sits in this band.
- 50–60: 1,329 station-mapped locations (21%). Above this entry.
- 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 | Snow | Freeze Days | 90°F+ Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 30°F (-1°C) | 12°F (-11°C) | 21°F (-6°C) | 0.5" | 6.4" | 30.6 | 0.0 |
| February | 38°F (3°C) | 17°F (-8°C) | 27°F (-3°C) | 0.6" | 4.1" | 26.8 | 0.0 |
| March | 50°F (10°C) | 27°F (-3°C) | 38°F (4°C) | 0.7" | 1.8" | 23.8 | 0.0 |
| April | 59°F (15°C) | 33°F (0°C) | 46°F (8°C) | 1.1" | 1.4" | 13.6 | 0.0 |
| May | 70°F (21°C) | 42°F (5°C) | 56°F (13°C) | 1.3" | 0.1" | 3.4 | 0.7 |
| June | 83°F (28°C) | 51°F (11°C) | 67°F (19°C) | 0.7" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 7.8 |
| July | 89°F (32°C) | 58°F (14°C) | 73°F (23°C) | 0.8" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 19.7 |
| August | 86°F (30°C) | 56°F (13°C) | 71°F (22°C) | 1.0" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 11.8 |
| September | 76°F (24°C) | 47°F (8°C) | 62°F (16°C) | 1.3" | 0.0" | 0.8 | 1.4 |
| October | 61°F (16°C) | 36°F (2°C) | 48°F (9°C) | 1.5" | 0.4" | 9.0 | 0.0 |
| November | 45°F (7°C) | 24°F (-5°C) | 34°F (1°C) | 0.7" | 4.1" | 25.2 | 0.0 |
| December | 31°F (0°C) | 14°F (-10°C) | 23°F (-5°C) | 0.7" | 7.8" | 30.5 | 0.0 |
The year, day by day
Summer here tops out rather than builds: the warmest normal high is 90°F around July 17, short of 90°F on every date, while 170 dates carry a normal low at or below freezing, the coldest 12°F near January 2.
The freezing stretch
The normal low stays at or below 32°F into April 12, then returns to freezing around October 26, covering 170 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 23, when 22% of years recorded at least a hundredth of an inch. The driest is June 30 at 13%. Summed across the calendar, that is about 65 wet dates a year.
The widest day
June 22 carries the biggest normal gap between afternoon and dawn, 32°F between the normal high and the normal low.
Look up any date
Any date's 1991–2020 normal for Dinosaur National Monument.
Where Dinosaur National Monument Stands Nationally
Aridity defines the water calendar: about 11 inches in a normal year lands this among the driest tenth of ranked stations.
Dinosaur National Monument 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 and snowfall
Snow: 6.4"
4.6 days with precipitation
Snow: 4.1"
4.7 days with precipitation
Snow: 1.8"
4.8 days with precipitation
Snow: 1.4"
6.2 days with precipitation
Snow: 0.1"
6.9 days with precipitation
5.0 days with precipitation
4.8 days with precipitation
6.3 days with precipitation
6.3 days with precipitation
Snow: 0.4"
5.5 days with precipitation
Snow: 4.1"
4.6 days with precipitation
Snow: 7.8"
4.5 days with precipitation
Dinosaur National Monument spreads its precipitation across the year
Neither half of the year dominates here: June through August take 23% of the annual total and December through February 17%, with neither reaching the 35% that would mark a distinct wet season. Dinosaur National Monument has no dry season to plan around, though it does carry a wide 52.3°F gap between its warmest and coldest month.
The gap between the wettest and driest month still matters: October averages 1.5" and January 0.5". The three wettest months together take 38% 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.
Dinosaur National Monument is dry, and what does fall arrives gently
Only about 64 days a year record measurable precipitation here, 18% of the calendar, and they carry 10.7" between them. At roughly 0.17 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 7 wet days; the driest is December at about 5.
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.
Winter brings real snow to Dinosaur National Monument
Dinosaur National Monument averages 26.1 inches of snowfall a year, with December the snowiest month on the normals, spread across roughly 14 days that record measurable snow. That is depth accumulating on the ground, which is why it can exceed the annual precipitation figure: precipitation counts the liquid the snow melts down to, and fresh snow is mostly air.
- Annual snowfall: 26.1 inches of depth.
- Days recording measurable snow: about 14 a year.
- At a rough ten-to-one melt ratio, snow accounts for on the order of 24% of the year's precipitation.
NOAA 1991-2020 normals. The ten-to-one ratio is a convention, not a measurement: real ratios vary with temperature, so treat the share as an order of magnitude rather than an exact split.
Frost Dates & Growing Season
First Fall Freeze
October 5
50% probability date
Last Spring Freeze
May 12
50% probability date
Growing Season
146 days
Heating & Cooling Degree Days
Annual totals indicate energy demand for heating and cooling
Heating Degree Days
7,090
Higher = more heating needed
Cooling Degree Days
620
Higher = more cooling needed
Warmest Month
July
Coldest Month
January
Nationwide similar cities
Other rankable U.S. places outside CO closest to Dinosaur National Monument 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 (47°F here).
- Amboy, MN 47°F · 0.0°F off
- Burton, MI 47°F · 0.0°F off
- Concord, NH 47°F · 0.0°F off
- Fort Atkinson, WI 47°F · 0.0°F off
Closest by annual precipitation
Nearest out-of-state peers by annual precipitation (10.7" here), excluding temperature-peer places.
- Castleford, ID 10.7" · 0.0" off
- Hazelton, ID 10.7" · 0.0" off
- Joplin, MT 10.8" · 0.0" off
- Tulelake, CA 10.7" · 0.0" off
Snow and freeze rhythm
When cold and snow define Dinosaur National Monument
heating led · dry · mid swing
Dinosaur National Monument's energy balance leans toward cold weather: 7,090 annual heating degree days against 620 for cooling. Its 52.3°F seasonal range still makes the monthly rows more useful than the annual average alone.
Only about 146 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.
-
1. Dinosaur National Monument coldest normal
January
Averaging 21°F (-6°C), this month sits below freezing for the month as a whole, not merely overnight.
-
2. Dinosaur National Monument typical freeze period
January through December
The station reports average freezing days from January through December.
-
3. Dinosaur National Monument snow peak
December
Dinosaur National Monument averages 26.1 inches of snow a year, with December the snowiest month on the normals.
Questions about Dinosaur National Monument's climate
How much snow does Dinosaur National Monument get? ▼
How many days above 90°F does Dinosaur National Monument get? ▼
How much energy does heating and cooling require in Dinosaur National Monument? ▼
Data Sources
Data source: NOAA U.S. Climate Normals v1.0.1 (1991-2020). All figures on this page are from Dinosaur National Monument's primary station: DINOSAUR NM (USC00052286). 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 Dinosaur National Monument; 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 Dinosaur National Monument 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.