Grand Junction, 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 Grand Junction's primary NOAA station, GRAND JUNCTION 6ESE - 2 stations mapped to the area.
The climate verdict for Grand Junction
Dryness leads the climate profile for Grand Junction, Colorado, with 8.9 inches of precipitation a year. NOAA records an annual average of 54°F. At 44/100 (moderate) the climate comfort score falls in the bottom third of the station-mapped U.S. score corpus, exceeding only 10% of scores.
- 54°F
- annual average temperature (NOAA normal)
- 44/100
- comfort score, above 10% of station-mapped location scores
- 8.9"
- annual precipitation · 13" snow
- 180 days
- frost-free growing season
Grand Junction: NOAA 1991-2020 normals describe a typical year, not a forecast. Method: /methodology.
Normals record plate
Sheet USC00053489 · Grand Junction, CO 54°F mean · 8.9" precip
TEMP-COOL · RANK-MID · PHOTO-FINISH · PRCP-ARID · SWING-WIDE · COMF-LOW · LOAD-HEAT · STN-MULTI · BOOK-FULL
- TEMP-COOL 54°F
- RANK-MID #3,911
- PHOTO-FINISH ≈ Ulysses
- PRCP-ARID 8.9"
- SWING-WIDE 50°F
- COMF-LOW 44/100
- LOAD-HEAT 5,259 HDD
- STN-MULTI USC00053489
- BOOK-FULL 6/6 fields
Nearest mean-temperature peer: Ulysses, KS (+ 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.
- Grand Junction (this station) 54°F
- Hot Brunswick, MO 54°F
- Near Ulysses, KS 54°F
- Near Marshall, MO 54°F
- Near Salisbury, MO 54°F
Climate Living Index · Grand Junction
Grand Junction: 39/100 · grade F
Grand Junction publishes 5 of 6 Living Index dimensions (NOAA annual/seasonal normals · NOAA daily multivariate normals); 1 missing weight rescale to 100.
PlainClimate-derived for Grand Junction, not an official NOAA rating. Rankings still use Comfort Score 44/100 (separate formula). Breakpoints and limits.
| Dimension | Station value | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Snowfall burden | 12.6 inches/year | 59/100 · C |
| Annual temperature balance | 54.0°F · 13.5° from 67.5°F | 56/100 · C |
| Frost-free season | 180 days/year | 50/100 · D |
| Normal heat + freeze calendar | 174 calendar days | 29/100 · F |
| Precipitation balance | 8.9 in · 26.1 from 35 in | 9/100 · F |
Grand Junction · 2026-08-04 · NOAA NCEI Climate Normals · method · Comfort Score method.
Grand Junction'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
- 79.2°F
- Coldest month
- 29.2°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 Grand Junction sits across the climate record
Three NOAA fields for Grand Junction's primary station, temperature, precipitation, and seasonal swing, are ranked against every station-mapped normal that carries the same field.
- Annual temperature
- 57th percentile warmth
- Mid-pack annual mean versus 6,861 station normals.
- Annual precipitation
- Drier than 95%
- Grand Junction's annual total ranks in the drier third of 6,352 measured normals.
- Seasonal temperature swing
- Wider than 81%
- Warmest-to-coldest month gap for Grand Junction is large versus 6,861 complete station-years.
How Grand Junction compares across U.S. station-mapped locations
Grand Junction's comfort score vs. all station-mapped locations
PlainClimate composite comfort index (1–100), NOAA 1991–2020 normals
44 10th percentile score exceeds 10% 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
Grand Junction's measured station temperature trend
MethodologyAcross 56 complete annual observations from 1964 to 2025, GRAND JUNCTION 6ESE warmed at a fitted rate of 0.33°C per decade. The line shows the fitted change relative to its first year, not raw year-to-year temperatures or a forecast.
- Grand Junction primary station fitted change +0.33 °C/decade
Monthly Temperatures
Average daily high and low temperatures by month
| Month | Avg High | Avg Low | Mean | Precip | Snow | Freeze Days | 90°F+ Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 39°F (4°C) | 19°F (-7°C) | 29°F (-2°C) | 0.5" | 3.4" | 30.0 | 0.0 |
| February | 47°F (8°C) | 25°F (-4°C) | 36°F (2°C) | 0.5" | 2.1" | 24.5 | 0.0 |
| March | 58°F (14°C) | 34°F (1°C) | 46°F (8°C) | 0.8" | 1.1" | 14.3 | 0.0 |
| April | 65°F (19°C) | 40°F (5°C) | 53°F (12°C) | 1.0" | 0.6" | 4.8 | 0.0 |
| May | 76°F (24°C) | 50°F (10°C) | 63°F (17°C) | 0.9" | 0.0" | 0.5 | 1.8 |
| June | 88°F (31°C) | 59°F (15°C) | 73°F (23°C) | 0.5" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 15.8 |
| July | 93°F (34°C) | 65°F (19°C) | 79°F (26°C) | 0.7" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 24.8 |
| August | 90°F (32°C) | 63°F (17°C) | 76°F (25°C) | 0.8" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 19.6 |
| September | 81°F (27°C) | 54°F (12°C) | 68°F (20°C) | 1.2" | 0.0" | 0.1 | 4.5 |
| October | 67°F (19°C) | 41°F (5°C) | 54°F (12°C) | 0.9" | 0.2" | 4.4 | 0.0 |
| November | 52°F (11°C) | 30°F (-1°C) | 41°F (5°C) | 0.7" | 1.7" | 19.3 | 0.0 |
| December | 40°F (4°C) | 20°F (-7°C) | 30°F (-1°C) | 0.5" | 3.5" | 30.1 | 0.0 |
The year, day by day
Grand Junction works both ends of the calendar. Normal highs climb to 94°F by July 16 and hold at or above 90°F on 55 dates, then normal lows drop to freezing or below on 119 dates, bottoming at 18°F around January 1.
When the heat sits
Normal highs reach 90°F from June 22 through August 15, covering 55 dates. The broader mild season, normal highs of 70°F or more, runs May 3 to October 9.
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 March 8, then returns to freezing around November 11, covering 119 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 April 9, when 23% of years recorded at least a hundredth of an inch. The driest is June 21 at 10%. Summed across the calendar, that is about 63 wet dates a year.
The widest day
June 20 carries the biggest normal gap between afternoon and dawn, 29°F between the normal high and the normal low.
Look up any date
Any date's 1991–2020 normal for Grand Junction.
Where Grand Junction Stands Nationally
Aridity defines the water calendar: about 9 inches in a normal year lands this among the driest tenth of ranked stations.
Grand Junction 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: 3.4"
4.6 days with precipitation
Snow: 2.1"
5.6 days with precipitation
Snow: 1.1"
5.8 days with precipitation
Snow: 0.6"
6.8 days with precipitation
5.4 days with precipitation
2.8 days with precipitation
4.8 days with precipitation
6.0 days with precipitation
6.6 days with precipitation
Snow: 0.2"
6.1 days with precipitation
Snow: 1.7"
4.4 days with precipitation
Snow: 3.5"
4.1 days with precipitation
Grand Junction spreads its precipitation across the year
Neither half of the year dominates here: June through August take 22% of the annual total and December through February 17%, with neither reaching the 35% that would mark a distinct wet season. Grand Junction has no dry season to plan around, though it does carry a wide 50°F gap between its warmest and coldest month.
The gap between the wettest and driest month still matters: September averages 1.2" and June 0.5". The three wettest months together take 35% 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.
Grand Junction is dry, and what does fall arrives gently
Only about 63 days a year record measurable precipitation here, 17% of the calendar, and they carry 8.9" between them. At roughly 0.14 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 April at about 7 wet days; the driest is June at about 3.
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 Grand Junction
Grand Junction averages 12.6 inches of snowfall a year, with December the snowiest month on the normals, spread across roughly 12 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: 12.6 inches of depth.
- Days recording measurable snow: about 12 a year.
- At a rough ten-to-one melt ratio, snow accounts for on the order of 14% 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 20
50% probability date
Last Spring Freeze
April 23
50% probability date
Growing Season
180 days
Heating & Cooling Degree Days
Annual totals indicate energy demand for heating and cooling
Heating Degree Days
5,259
Higher = more heating needed
Cooling Degree Days
1,284
Higher = more cooling needed
Warmest Month
July
Coldest Month
January
Nationwide similar cities
Other rankable U.S. places outside CO closest to Grand Junction 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 (54°F here).
- Boardman, OR 54°F · 0.0°F off
- Damascus, MD 54°F · 0.0°F off
- Elsberry, MO 54°F · 0.0°F off
- Estacada, OR 54°F · 0.0°F off
Closest by annual precipitation
Nearest out-of-state peers by annual precipitation (8.9" here), excluding temperature-peer places.
- Presidio, TX 8.9" · 0.0" off
- Hamer, ID 8.9" · 0.0" off
- Caliente, NV 8.8" · 0.0" off
- Mcgill, NV 8.8" · 0.0" off
Snow and freeze rhythm
When cold and snow define Grand Junction
heating led · dry · mid swing
Grand Junction's energy balance leans toward cold weather: 5,259 annual heating degree days against 1,284 for cooling. Its 50.0°F seasonal range still makes the monthly rows more useful than the annual average alone.
Grand Junction's frost-free season lasts about 180 days, a middle-length window whose endpoints matter more than the annual average. It describes freeze probability, not year-specific planting conditions.
-
1. Grand Junction coldest normal
January
The monthly mean of 29°F (-2°C) sits near freezing, so cold nights and above-freezing afternoons share the same month.
-
2. Grand Junction typical freeze period
January through December
The station reports average freezing days from January through December.
-
3. Grand Junction snow peak
December
Grand Junction averages 12.6 inches of snow a year, with December the snowiest month on the normals.
Questions about Grand Junction's climate
How much snow does Grand Junction get? ▼
How many days above 90°F does Grand Junction get? ▼
How much energy does heating and cooling require in Grand Junction? ▼
Data Sources
Data source: NOAA U.S. Climate Normals v1.0.1 (1991-2020). All figures on this page are from Grand Junction's primary station: GRAND JUNCTION 6ESE (USC00053489). 2 NOAA stations are mapped to the Grand Junction area; the primary station's record is used for consistency. 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 0831660). Match rule for Grand Junction: 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 Grand Junction 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.