Dove Creek, Colorado climate: Normal weather by month, frost dates and records
Dove Creek's normal year runs from 17°F January nights to 87°F July afternoons. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a yearly mean of 9.3°C, January lows of −8°C, July highs of 30°C.
- NOAA stationDove Creek
- Station IDUSC00052342
- Location37.77°N 108.91°W
- Elevation6,863 ft (2,092 m)
- Population663
On October 23, the normal high in Dove Creek is 59°F and the normal low 35°F.
Normals describe a typical year at the station, not a forecast. The National Weather Service forecast for Dove Creek.
- Jan 38° 17°
- Feb 42° 21°
- Mar 50° 28°
- Apr 59° 32°
- May 69° 41°
- Jun 81° 52°
- Jul 87° 58°
- Aug 83° 56°
- Sep 75° 49°
- Oct 62° 38°
- Nov 49° 27°
- Dec 38° 19°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
What is the weather like in Dove Creek each month?
July is the warmest month, with normal highs of 87°F; January the coldest, with normal lows of 17°F.
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Wet days | 90°F days | Freezing nights | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 38°F | 17°F | 27.5°F | – | <1 | 31 | 9 h 50 min |
| February | 42°F | 21°F | 31.2°F | – | <1 | 27 | 10 h 50 min |
| March | 50°F | 28°F | 39.1°F | – | <1 | 23 | 11 h 50 min |
| April | 59°F | 32°F | 45.5°F | – | <1 | 15 | 13 h 10 min |
| May | 69°F | 41°F | 55.0°F | – | <1 | 4 | 14 h 10 min |
| June | 81°F | 52°F | 66.3°F | – | 3 | <1 | 14 h 50 min |
| July | 87°F | 58°F | 72.2°F | – | 11 | <1 | 14 h 30 min |
| August | 83°F | 56°F | 69.6°F | – | 2 | <1 | 13 h 40 min |
| September | 75°F | 49°F | 62.1°F | – | <1 | 1 | 12 h 30 min |
| October | 62°F | 38°F | 49.6°F | – | <1 | 8 | 11 h 20 min |
| November | 49°F | 27°F | 38.2°F | – | <1 | 22 | 10 h 10 min |
| December | 38°F | 19°F | 28.4°F | – | <1 | 30 | 9 h 30 min |
| Year (annual) | 61°F | 36°F | 48.7°F | – | 15 | 160 |
The same normals in °C and millimetres
| Month | High | Low | Mean |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 3°C | −8°C | −2.5°C |
| February | 5°C | −6°C | −0.4°C |
| March | 10°C | −2°C | 3.9°C |
| April | 15°C | 0°C | 7.5°C |
| May | 20°C | 5°C | 12.8°C |
| June | 27°C | 11°C | 19.1°C |
| July | 30°C | 14°C | 22.3°C |
| August | 28°C | 13°C | 20.9°C |
| September | 24°C | 10°C | 16.7°C |
| October | 17°C | 3°C | 9.8°C |
| November | 10°C | −3°C | 3.4°C |
| December | 3°C | −7°C | −2.0°C |
NOAA publishes no 1991-2020 snowfall normal for this station. The nearest record that keeps one, Monticello (2 mi E) (23 miles away), gets 64 inches of snow in a normal year; elevation and distance can change that.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USC00052342; 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.
When is the best weather to visit Dove Creek?
Normal highs sit between 65°F and 85°F in May, June, August and September.
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 USC00052342.
When is the last frost in Dove Creek?
In Dove Creek, the last spring frost (32°F) comes after May 11 in half of years and after May 25 in one year in ten; the first autumn frost comes before October 12 in half of years and before September 29 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
- May 111 year in 10 after May 25; 9 in 10 after April 29
- First autumn frost, half of years before
- October 121 year in 10 before September 29; 9 in 10 before October 25
NOAA puts the median frost-free season at 152 days, and the season without a hard freeze (28°F) at 173 days.
A hard freeze (28°F) comes after April 30 in half of springs and before October 21 in half of autumns.
The USDA's 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Dove Creek in zone 6b in ZIP code 81320, the nearest ZIP area.
Frost dates for every NOAA station in Colorado · Frost dates by ZIP code
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals (frost probabilities), station USC00052342; USDA 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map, ZIP listings: PRISM Group, Oregon State University, https://prism.oregonstate.edu, accessed October 8, 2026. 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 in Dove Creek?
In a normal year in Dove Creek, 15 days a year reach 90°F and 160 nights fall to 32°F or colder.
- Days at 90°F or more
- 15a normal year
- Days at 100°F or more
- fewer than 1a normal year
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 160a normal year
- Days that stay below freezing
- 24high of 32°F or less
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals, station USC00052342.
How sunny is Dove Creek?
Over a year 83% of the sunlight that would reach the ground under clear skies gets through the clouds in the area around Dove Creek, 5.3 kWh per square metre a day. June is the sunniest month (91%) and December the cloudiest (75%).
| Month | Share of clear-sky sunshine | Sunshine, kWh/m² a day |
|---|---|---|
| January | 78% | 2.8 |
| February | 76% | 3.7 |
| March | 80% | 5.1 |
| April | 81% | 6.4 |
| May | 84% | 7.5 |
| June | 91% | 8.3 |
| July | 85% | 7.3 |
| August | 84% | 6.5 |
| September | 86% | 5.7 |
| October | 85% | 4.4 |
| November | 83% | 3.2 |
| December | 75% | 2.4 |
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 much heating and cooling does Dove Creek need?
A normal year in Dove Creek brings 6,429 heating degree days, 20% more than the median U.S. place (5,373), and 519 cooling degree days, 43% fewer than the median (908). Eight months need 300 or more heating degree days, a monthly mean of about 55°F or colder. For gardens and crops, NOAA counts 2,492 growing degree days a year above 50°F.
| Month | Heating | Cooling |
|---|---|---|
| January | 1,163 | 0 |
| February | 946 | 0 |
| March | 803 | 0 |
| April | 586 | 0 |
| May | 319 | 8 |
| June | 61 | 102 |
| July | 1 | 224 |
| August | 7 | 148 |
| September | 124 | 37 |
| October | 478 | 0 |
| November | 806 | 0 |
| December | 1,134 | 0 |
| Year (annual) | 6,429 | 519 |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USC00052342. 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.
How does Dove Creek's climate compare?
Dove Creek is warmer than 58 of the other 124 places with their own NOAA record in Colorado. Across the 7,247 U.S. stations with normals, its annual mean of 48.7°F is warmer than 35%.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 normals for every station PlainClimate covers.
Questions about Dove Creek's climate
What is the coldest month in Dove Creek?
January, with a normal high of 38°F and a normal low of 17°F. The warmest is July (87°F by day, 58°F at night).
Does it snow in Dove Creek?
Yes. NOAA publishes no 1991-2020 snowfall normal for Dove Creek's NOAA station; the nearest record that keeps one, Monticello (2 mi E) (23 miles away), records 64 inches of snow in a normal year.
What plant hardiness zone is Dove Creek in?
The USDA's 2023 map puts Dove Creek in zone 6b in ZIP code 81320, the nearest ZIP area.
How late can frost come in Dove Creek?
In half of years the last 32°F night comes after May 11; in one year in ten it comes after May 25. Waiting until May 25 leaves about a one-in-ten chance of a later frost.
Nearby and next
- Colorado climateThe statewide normals and every place in the state
- Northdale, CO6 miles from this station, 45.5°F a year
- Cedar Point, UT10 miles from this station, 48.1°F a year
- Yellow Jacket (2 mi W), CO19 miles from this station, 49.5°F a year
- Yellow Jacket (4 mi NE), CO20 miles from this station, 48.4°F a year
- Compare two placesMonth by month, side by side
Download these normals (CSV) · JSON · How these figures are made