Fairplay, Colorado climate: Normal weather by month, frost dates and records
Fairplay's normal year runs from 9°F February nights to 71°F July afternoons, with 15.1 inches of precipitation a year. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a yearly mean of 2.6°C, February lows of −13°C, July highs of 22°C, 384 mm of precipitation a year.
- NOAA stationFairplay S Park Rd
- Station IDUSC00052816
- Location39.22°N 105.99°W
- Elevation9,995 ft (3,047 m)
- Population755
On October 14, the normal high in Fairplay is 52°F and the normal low 26°F.
Normals describe a typical year at the station, not a forecast. The National Weather Service forecast for Fairplay.
- Jan 31° 10°
- Feb 31° 9°
- Mar 38° 16°
- Apr 45° 22°
- May 55° 29°
- Jun 66° 37°
- Jul 71° 42°
- Aug 68° 41°
- Sep 62° 35°
- Oct 51° 26°
- Nov 39° 17°
- Dec 31° 10°
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 Fairplay each month?
July is the warmest month, with normal highs of 71°F; February the coldest, with normal lows of 9°F. The most precipitation falls in July (2.40 in), the least in November (0.63 in).
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Precip. | Wet days | 90°F days | Freezing nights | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 31°F | 10°F | 20.2°F | 0.65 | – | <1 | 31 | 9 h 40 min |
| February | 31°F | 9°F | 20.1°F | 0.66 | – | <1 | 28 | 10 h 40 min |
| March | 38°F | 16°F | 26.9°F | 1.10 | – | <1 | 31 | 11 h 50 min |
| April | 45°F | 22°F | 33.2°F | 1.35 | – | <1 | 29 | 13 h 10 min |
| May | 55°F | 29°F | 41.8°F | 1.78 | – | <1 | 22 | 14 h 20 min |
| June | 66°F | 37°F | 51.2°F | 1.13 | – | <1 | 3 | 14 h 50 min |
| July | 71°F | 42°F | 56.7°F | 2.40 | – | <1 | <1 | 14 h 40 min |
| August | 68°F | 41°F | 54.6°F | 2.22 | – | <1 | <1 | 13 h 50 min |
| September | 62°F | 35°F | 48.4°F | 1.44 | – | <1 | 9 | 12 h 30 min |
| October | 51°F | 26°F | 38.4°F | 1.01 | – | <1 | 25 | 11 h 10 min |
| November | 39°F | 17°F | 28.0°F | 0.63 | – | <1 | 29 | 10 h |
| December | 31°F | 10°F | 20.2°F | 0.73 | – | <1 | 31 | 9 h 30 min |
| Year (annual) | 49°F | 24°F | 36.7°F | 15.10 | – | <1 | 236 |
The same normals in °C and millimetres
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | −1°C | −12°C | −6.6°C | 17 mm |
| February | −1°C | −13°C | −6.6°C | 17 mm |
| March | 3°C | −9°C | −2.8°C | 28 mm |
| April | 7°C | −6°C | 0.7°C | 34 mm |
| May | 13°C | −2°C | 5.4°C | 45 mm |
| June | 19°C | 3°C | 10.7°C | 29 mm |
| July | 22°C | 6°C | 13.7°C | 61 mm |
| August | 20°C | 5°C | 12.6°C | 56 mm |
| September | 17°C | 2°C | 9.1°C | 37 mm |
| October | 11°C | −3°C | 3.6°C | 26 mm |
| November | 4°C | −8°C | −2.2°C | 16 mm |
| December | −1°C | −12°C | −6.6°C | 19 mm |
NOAA publishes no 1991-2020 snowfall normal for this station. The nearest record that keeps one, Climax (15 miles away), gets 295 inches of snow in a normal year; elevation and distance can change that.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USC00052816; 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 Fairplay?
Normal highs sit between 65°F and 85°F in June, July and August.
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 USC00052816.
When is the last frost in Fairplay?
In Fairplay, the last spring frost (32°F) comes after June 16 in half of years and after June 30 in one year in ten; the first autumn frost comes before September 9 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 161 year in 10 after June 30; 9 in 10 after June 2
- First autumn frost, half of years before
- September 91 year in 10 before August 21; 9 in 10 before September 24
NOAA puts the median frost-free season at 83 days, and the season without a hard freeze (28°F) at 107 days.
A hard freeze (28°F) comes after June 2 in half of springs and before September 21 in half of autumns.
The USDA's 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Fairplay in zone 5b in ZIP code 80440, 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 USC00052816; 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 Fairplay?
In a normal year in Fairplay, a 90°F day is rare and 236 nights fall to 32°F or colder.
- Days at 90°F or more
- fewer than 1a normal year
- Days at 100°F or more
- fewer than 1a normal year
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 236a normal year
- Days that stay below freezing
- 69high of 32°F or less
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals, station USC00052816.
How sunny is Fairplay?
Over a year 77% of the sunlight that would reach the ground under clear skies gets through the clouds in the area around Fairplay, 4.7 kWh per square metre a day. February is the sunniest month (82%) and May the cloudiest (71%).
| Month | Share of clear-sky sunshine | Sunshine, kWh/m² a day |
|---|---|---|
| January | 81% | 2.7 |
| February | 82% | 3.8 |
| March | 79% | 4.9 |
| April | 73% | 5.6 |
| May | 71% | 6.2 |
| June | 78% | 7.0 |
| July | 75% | 6.4 |
| August | 75% | 5.8 |
| September | 81% | 5.2 |
| October | 80% | 3.9 |
| November | 79% | 2.8 |
| December | 79% | 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 Fairplay need?
A normal year in Fairplay brings 10,316 heating degree days, 92% more than the median U.S. place (5,373), and 0 cooling degree days, 100% fewer than the median (908). Eleven months need 300 or more heating degree days, a monthly mean of about 55°F or colder. For gardens and crops, NOAA counts 505 growing degree days a year above 50°F.
| Month | Heating | Cooling |
|---|---|---|
| January | 1,387 | 0 |
| February | 1,257 | 0 |
| March | 1,183 | 0 |
| April | 954 | 0 |
| May | 719 | 0 |
| June | 414 | 0 |
| July | 258 | 0 |
| August | 321 | 0 |
| September | 498 | 0 |
| October | 825 | 0 |
| November | 1,112 | 0 |
| December | 1,389 | 0 |
| Year (annual) | 10,316 | 0 |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USC00052816. 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 Fairplay's climate compare?
Fairplay is warmer than 6 of the other 124 places with their own NOAA record in Colorado, and wetter than 54. Across the 7,247 U.S. stations with normals, its annual mean of 36.7°F is warmer than 2%.
In the Köppen classification computed from these normals, Fairplay is Dfc: continental, no dry season, cool 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.
Which places near Fairplay share this climate record?
Alma has no NOAA station with 1991-2020 normals of its own, and this station is the nearest full record. A place's own climate can differ from these figures, by several degrees where it sits much higher or lower than the station, nearer the coast, or inside a large city's heat; for the larger places the next nearest records are named with their yearly mean, so the spread around them is visible, and places of 50,000 or more have their own page with NOAA's gridded normals.
- Alma, CO316 people · 6 mi NW
Source: Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer (place centers) and Vintage 2024 population estimates. Distance and direction from the station to each place's center.
Questions about Fairplay's climate
What is the coldest month in Fairplay?
February, with a normal high of 31°F and a normal low of 9°F. The warmest is July (71°F by day, 42°F at night).
Does it snow in Fairplay?
Yes. NOAA publishes no 1991-2020 snowfall normal for Fairplay's NOAA station; the nearest record that keeps one, Climax (15 miles away), records 295 inches of snow in a normal year.
What is the rainiest month in Fairplay?
July, with 2.40 in of precipitation in a normal year; the driest is November with 0.63 in.
What plant hardiness zone is Fairplay in?
The USDA's 2023 map puts Fairplay in zone 5b in ZIP code 80440, the nearest ZIP area.
How late can frost come in Fairplay?
In half of years the last 32°F night comes after June 16; in one year in ten it comes after June 30. Waiting until June 30 leaves about a one-in-ten chance of a later frost.
Nearby and next
- Colorado climateThe statewide normals and every place in the state
- Climax, CO14 miles from this station, 32.2°F a year
- Antero Reservoir, CO17 miles from this station, 35.4°F a year
- Leadville, CO17 miles from this station, 34.6°F a year
- Sugarloaf Reservoir, CO21 miles from this station, 35.2°F a year
- Compare two placesMonth by month, side by side
Download these normals (CSV) · JSON · How these figures are made