Climate Comfort Score
39/100
Below Average
NOAA 1991–2020 normals 45°F annual avg Public-domain federal data
Great Sand Dunes NP & Preserve, CO Climate
Pulled from NOAA NCEI 1991–2020 normals →: average temperature, precipitation, and comfort score
- 45°F
- Avg annual temp
- 39/100
- Comfort score
- 12.2"
- Annual precip
- 133d
- Growing season
30-year climate normals from 1 weather station (1991-2020).
The climate verdict for Great Sand Dunes NP & Preserve
Great Sand Dunes NP & Preserve, Colorado averages 45°F a year and scores 39/100 on the comfort index - below average, milder than 4% of U.S. cities.
- 45°F
- average temperature, NOAA 1991-2020 normal
- 39/100
- comfort score, milder than 4% of U.S. cities
- 12.2"
- annual precipitation · 48" snow
- 133 days
- frost-free days per growing season
Based on NOAA U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020) - 30-year averages describing the typical year, not a forecast.
Avg Temperature
45°F (7°C)
Avg High
58°F
Avg Low
32°F
Annual Precip
12.2"
Annual Snow
47.8"
Comfort Score
39/100
Below Average
Avg Annual Temperature
45°F
30-year mean (NOAA NCEI)
Annual Precipitation
12.2"
Plus 47.8" of snow
Comfort score vs national 100-point ceiling (Great Sand Dunes NP & Preserve) 39.0%
National median (63)
PlainClimate composite, temperature mildness, humidity, precipitation, extreme-weather frequency. Below Average for the Great Sand Dunes NP & Preserve area.
How Great Sand Dunes NP & Preserve compares to every U.S. city
Great Sand Dunes NP & Preserve's comfort score vs. all U.S. cities
PlainClimate composite comfort index (1–100), NOAA 1991–2020 normals
39 Top 96% higher than 4% of 6,915 US cities
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, PlainClimate comfort index · 1991–2020
Warming context for Great Sand Dunes NP & Preserve
MethodologyZooming out from Great Sand Dunes NP & Preserve's own normal, the chart below shows how the U.S. land temperature anomaly has tracked the global mean since 1900 - the most recent decade sits warmer than the 30-year mean shown here.
- United States land mean (NOAA NCEI) +0.11 °C/decade
- Global anomaly (NASA GISTEMP) +0.11 °C/decade
- Paris Agreement thresholds 1.5°C / 2.0°C
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 |
Monthly Precipitation
Average monthly rainfall and snowfall
January 0.6"
Snow: 8.1"
4.9 days with precipitation
February 0.4"
Snow: 6.2"
5.2 days with precipitation
March 0.9"
Snow: 8.5"
5.6 days with precipitation
April 1.2"
Snow: 7.9"
6.1 days with precipitation
May 1.2"
Snow: 1.7"
7.3 days with precipitation
June 0.7"
5.2 days with precipitation
July 2.1"
10.2 days with precipitation
August 1.9"
11.3 days with precipitation
September 1.3"
7.1 days with precipitation
October 0.9"
Snow: 2.8"
5.4 days with precipitation
November 0.5"
Snow: 5.6"
4.0 days with precipitation
December 0.5"
Snow: 7.0"
5.4 days with precipitation
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
What Great Sand Dunes NP & Preserve's climate means for you
Great Sand Dunes NP & Preserve runs 45°F a year - peaking in July, coldest in January.
- Gardeners get about 133 frost-free days, with the last spring freeze near May 21 - plan the planting calendar around it, not the regional average.
- Energy bills track 7,615 heating and 148 cooling degree days a year, higher means the furnace or AC runs more.
- Comparing places to live? Line this city up against nearby cities and the national rankings. See rankings
These are 30-year NOAA normals (1991–2020) - the typical year, not a forecast for any specific season.
Climate Guides
Climate Insight: Great Sand Dunes NP & Preserve, CO
In Great Sand Dunes NP & Preserve, Colorado, the NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals put the annual average temperature at 45°F, ranging from a mean daily high of 58°F to a mean daily low of 32°F. July is typically the warmest month of the year, while January is the coldest. As thirty-year averages computed from station USC00053541, these numbers smooth out year-to-year noise into a working baseline for a typical month.
Anyone planning to live, garden, or travel in Great Sand Dunes NP & Preserve should weigh precipitation alongside temperature: the annual average runs 12.2 inches, with 47.8 inches typically falling as snow. The frost-free season averages 133 days, which directly shapes the planting calendar and growing potential for the area, with the last spring freeze near May 21 and the first fall freeze near October 1. And on the energy front, 7,615 heating degree days and 148 cooling degree days tell the story of how often furnaces and air conditioners run during a normal year.
On PlainClimate's composite comfort index, Great Sand Dunes NP & Preserve scores 39/100 (Below Average), a blended measure that weighs temperature mildness, precipitation moderation, and extreme-weather frequency against one another. The monthly tables above turn that into a planning tool: expect the mildest highs and lows in the shoulder seasons, July-driven heat at the peak of summer, and January-driven cold at the depth of winter. Every number here is a thirty-year average, not a forecast, so any given year can and does run warmer, cooler, wetter, or drier than the normal.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average temperature in Great Sand Dunes NP & Preserve, CO? ▼
The average annual temperature in Great Sand Dunes NP & Preserve, Colorado is 45°F. The warmest month averages 81°F (27°C) and the coldest averages 11°F (-11°C).
How much rain does Great Sand Dunes NP & Preserve get? ▼
Great Sand Dunes NP & Preserve receives 12.2 inches of precipitation annually, including 47.8 inches of snow. Based on NOAA 30-year climate normals (1991-2020).
What is the comfort score for Great Sand Dunes NP & Preserve? ▼
Great Sand Dunes NP & Preserve has a climate comfort score of 39/100 (Below Average), milder than 4% of U.S. cities in the PlainClimate database.
When is the growing season in Great Sand Dunes NP & Preserve? ▼
Great Sand Dunes NP & Preserve has approximately 133 frost-free days per year, with the last spring freeze around May 21 and the first fall freeze around October 1.
How much energy does heating and cooling require in Great Sand Dunes NP & Preserve? ▼
Great Sand Dunes NP & Preserve has 7,615 heating degree days and 148 cooling degree days annually, a heating-dominated climate. See our <a href="/guides/reading-weather-data/" class="underline hover:text-brand-600">guide to reading weather data</a> for what these figures mean.
Where does this Great Sand Dunes NP & Preserve climate data come from? ▼
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals v1.0.1 (1991-2020), from weather station USC00053541 near Great Sand Dunes NP & Preserve.
Data Sources
Data source: NOAA U.S. Climate Normals v1.0.1 (1991-2020). Station: USC00053541. For informational purposes only.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Related
Data sourced from official public datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainClimate Editorial
Every figure on PlainClimate is rendered directly from NOAA 1991-2020 U.S. Climate Normals data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on NOAA 1991-2020 U.S. Climate Normals data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.