Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve, 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 Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve's primary NOAA station, GREAT SAND DUNES NP & PRESERVE.
The climate verdict for Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve
Dryness leads the climate profile for Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve, Colorado, with 12.2 inches of precipitation a year. NOAA records an annual average of 45°F. At 39/100 (below average) the climate comfort score falls in the bottom third of the station-mapped U.S. score corpus, exceeding only 4% of scores.
- 45°F
- average temperature, NOAA 1991-2020 normal
- 39/100
- comfort score, above 4% of station-mapped location scores
- 12.2"
- annual precipitation · 48" snow
- 133 days
- growing season, frost-free days
Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve: NOAA 1991-2020 normals describe a typical year, not a forecast. Method: /methodology.
Normals record plate
Sheet USC00053541 · Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve, CO 45°F mean · 12.2" precip
TEMP-COOL · RANK-COOL · PHOTO-FINISH · PRCP-DRY · SWING-MID · COMF-LOW · LOAD-HEAT · STN-1 · BOOK-FULL
- TEMP-COOL 45°F
- RANK-COOL #1,166
- PHOTO-FINISH ≈ Loa
- PRCP-DRY 12.2"
- SWING-MID 44°F
- COMF-LOW 39/100
- LOAD-HEAT 7,615 HDD
- STN-1 USC00053541
- BOOK-FULL 6/6 fields
Nearest mean-temperature peer: Loa, UT (+ 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.
- Great Sand Dune… (this station) 45°F
- Hot Loa, UT 45°F
- Cold Beaver Canyon P…, UT 44°F
- Near Bryce Canyon Na…, UT 44°F
- Near Double Four Rch, WY 44°F
Climate Living Index · Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve
Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve: 18/100 · grade F
Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve publishes 5 of 6 Living Index dimensions (NOAA annual/seasonal normals · NOAA daily multivariate normals); 1 missing weight rescale to 100.
PlainClimate-derived for Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve, not an official NOAA rating. Rankings still use Comfort Score 39/100 (separate formula). Breakpoints and limits.
| Dimension | Station value | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Snowfall burden | 47.8 inches/year | 22/100 · F |
| Precipitation balance | 12.2 in · 22.8 from 35 in | 19/100 · F |
| Annual temperature balance | 44.5°F · 23.0° from 67.5°F | 18/100 · F |
| Normal heat + freeze calendar | 195 calendar days | 17/100 · F |
| Frost-free season | 133 days/year | 14/100 · F |
Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve · 2026-08-04 · NOAA NCEI Climate Normals · method · Comfort Score method.
Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve is a continental Köppen climate: Dfb
Coldest-month mean 22.3°F and warmest-month mean 66.3°F place this station in continental, no dry season, warm summer climates (Dfb). Class Dfb is the Peel et al. (2007) label for this station's monthly mean temperature and precipitation normals: continental, specifically continental, no dry season, warm summer.
- Köppen code
- Dfb
- Group
- Continental
- Warmest month
- 66.3°F
- Coldest month
- 22.3°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 Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve sits across the climate record
Three NOAA fields for Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve's primary station, temperature, precipitation, and seasonal swing, are ranked against every station-mapped normal that carries the same field.
- Annual temperature
- Cooler than 83%
- Among 6,861 stations, Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve sits in the cooler third of annual means.
- Annual precipitation
- Drier than 89%
- Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve'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 Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve compares across U.S. station-mapped locations
Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve's comfort score vs. all station-mapped locations
PlainClimate composite comfort index (1–100), NOAA 1991–2020 normals
39 4th percentile score exceeds 4% 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%). This entry sits in this band.
- 40–50: 1,113 station-mapped locations (18%). Above this entry.
- 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
Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve's measured station temperature trend
MethodologyAcross 55 complete annual observations from 1952 to 2025, GREAT SAND DUNES NP & PRESERVE warmed at a fitted rate of 0.20°C per decade. The line shows the fitted change relative to its first year, not raw year-to-year temperatures or a forecast.
- Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve primary station fitted change +0.20 °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 | 33°F (1°C) | 11°F (-11°C) | 22°F (-5°C) | 0.6" | 8.1" | 30.9 | 0.0 |
| February | 39°F (4°C) | 16°F (-9°C) | 28°F (-2°C) | 0.4" | 6.2" | 27.8 | 0.0 |
| March | 49°F (9°C) | 24°F (-5°C) | 36°F (2°C) | 0.9" | 8.5" | 28.2 | 0.0 |
| April | 56°F (13°C) | 29°F (-2°C) | 43°F (6°C) | 1.2" | 7.9" | 20.3 | 0.0 |
| May | 66°F (19°C) | 38°F (3°C) | 52°F (11°C) | 1.2" | 1.7" | 6.9 | 0.0 |
| June | 77°F (25°C) | 48°F (9°C) | 63°F (17°C) | 0.7" | 0.0" | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| July | 81°F (27°C) | 52°F (11°C) | 66°F (19°C) | 2.1" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 0.5 |
| August | 78°F (26°C) | 50°F (10°C) | 64°F (18°C) | 1.9" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 0.1 |
| September | 72°F (22°C) | 44°F (6°C) | 58°F (14°C) | 1.3" | 0.0" | 1.3 | 0.0 |
| October | 60°F (15°C) | 33°F (0°C) | 46°F (8°C) | 0.9" | 2.8" | 13.7 | 0.0 |
| November | 46°F (8°C) | 22°F (-6°C) | 34°F (1°C) | 0.5" | 5.6" | 28.1 | 0.0 |
| December | 34°F (1°C) | 12°F (-11°C) | 23°F (-5°C) | 0.5" | 7.0" | 30.8 | 0.0 |
The year, day by day
Summer here tops out rather than builds: the warmest normal high is 81°F around July 7, short of 90°F on every date, while 195 dates carry a normal low at or below freezing, the coldest 10°F near January 1.
The freezing stretch
The normal low stays at or below 32°F into April 29, then returns to freezing around October 18, covering 195 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 August 3, when 38% of years recorded at least a hundredth of an inch. The driest is November 18 at 14%. Summed across the calendar, that is about 78 wet dates a year.
The widest day
June 25 carries the biggest normal gap between afternoon and dawn, 30°F between the normal high and the normal low.
Look up any date
Any date's 1991–2020 normal for Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve.
Where Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve Stands Nationally
Freezing is routine here by normals standards — the normal low reaches 32°F or colder on about 195 nights a year, more than most ranked stations.
A drier-than-most normal water year — around 12 inches, below what four out of five ranked stations collect.
Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve earns 2 nationally notable standings (outer quintiles) against 6,860 NOAA 1991–2020 normals stations; only those extremes render.
Monthly Precipitation
Average monthly rainfall and snowfall
Snow: 8.1"
4.9 days with precipitation
Snow: 6.2"
5.2 days with precipitation
Snow: 8.5"
5.6 days with precipitation
Snow: 7.9"
6.1 days with precipitation
Snow: 1.7"
7.3 days with precipitation
5.2 days with precipitation
10.2 days with precipitation
11.3 days with precipitation
7.1 days with precipitation
Snow: 2.8"
5.4 days with precipitation
Snow: 5.6"
4.0 days with precipitation
Snow: 7.0"
5.4 days with precipitation
Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve runs a summer-peaked wet season
39% of Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve'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 July at 2.1", on a 44°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: July, August, September, taking 44% of the annual total between them.
- Driest month: February at 0.4".
- Winter share: 12% 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.
Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve is dry, and what does fall arrives gently
Only about 78 days a year record measurable precipitation here, 21% of the calendar, and they carry 12.2" between them. At roughly 0.16 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 August at about 11 wet days; the driest is November 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.
Winter brings real snow to Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve
Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve averages 47.8 inches of snowfall a year, with March the snowiest month on the normals, spread across roughly 31 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: 47.8 inches of depth.
- Days recording measurable snow: about 31 a year.
- At a rough ten-to-one melt ratio, snow accounts for on the order of 39% 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 1
50% probability date
Last Spring Freeze
May 21
50% probability date
Growing Season
133 days
Heating & Cooling Degree Days
Annual totals indicate energy demand for heating and cooling
Heating Degree Days
7,615
Higher = more heating needed
Cooling Degree Days
148
Higher = more cooling needed
Warmest Month
July
Coldest Month
January
Nationwide similar cities
Other rankable U.S. places outside CO closest to Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve 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 (45°F here).
- Amidon, ND 45°F · 0.0°F off
- Cadillac, MI 45°F · 0.0°F off
- Canton, NY 45°F · 0.0°F off
- Cavendish, VT 45°F · 0.0°F off
Closest by annual precipitation
Nearest out-of-state peers by annual precipitation (12.2" here), excluding temperature-peer places.
- San Jacinto, CA 12.2" · 0.0" off
- Jal, NM 12.2" · 0.0" off
- Los Angeles, CA 12.2" · 0.0" off
- Thoreau, NM 12.3" · 0.1" off
Snow and freeze rhythm
When cold and snow define Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve
heating led · dry · mid swing
Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve's energy balance leans toward cold weather: 7,615 annual heating degree days against 148 for cooling. Its 44.0°F seasonal range still makes the monthly rows more useful than the annual average alone.
Only about 133 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. Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve coldest normal
January
Averaging 22°F (-5°C), this month sits below freezing for the month as a whole, not merely overnight.
-
2. Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve typical freeze period
January through December
The station reports average freezing days from January through December.
-
3. Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve snow peak
March
Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve averages 47.8 inches of snow a year, with March the snowiest month on the normals.
Questions about Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve's climate
How much snow does Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve get? ▼
How cold does Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve get in winter? ▼
How much energy does heating and cooling require in Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve? ▼
Data Sources
Data source: NOAA U.S. Climate Normals v1.0.1 (1991-2020). All figures on this page are from Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve's primary station: GREAT SAND DUNES NP & PRESERVE (USC00053541). 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 Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve; 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 Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve 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.