Hugo, Colorado climate: Normal weather by month, frost dates and records
Hugo's normal year runs from 12°F January nights to 89°F July afternoons, with 15.3 inches of precipitation and 24 inches of snow a year. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a yearly mean of 9.6°C, January lows of −11°C, July highs of 32°C, 390 mm of precipitation a year.
- NOAA stationHugo (1 mi NW)
- Station IDUSC00054172
- Location39.14°N 103.49°W
- Elevation5,025 ft (1,532 m)
- Population771
On October 23, the normal high in Hugo is 64°F and the normal low 29°F, and the chance of measurable rain or snow is 10%.
Normals describe a typical year at the station, not a forecast. The National Weather Service forecast for Hugo.
- Jan 46° 12°
- Feb 47° 15°
- Mar 56° 22°
- Apr 64° 29°
- May 73° 40°
- Jun 83° 50°
- Jul 89° 56°
- Aug 87° 54°
- Sep 80° 45°
- Oct 67° 32°
- Nov 54° 21°
- Dec 45° 13°
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 Hugo each month?
July is the warmest month, with normal highs of 89°F; January the coldest, with normal lows of 12°F. The most precipitation falls in July (3.14 in), the least in January (0.16 in).
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Precip. | Snow | Wet days | 90°F days | Freezing nights | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 46°F | 12°F | 29.0°F | 0.16 | 3.2 | 2 | <1 | 31 | 9 h 40 min |
| February | 47°F | 15°F | 30.8°F | 0.33 | 4.2 | 2 | <1 | 28 | 10 h 40 min |
| March | 56°F | 22°F | 39.3°F | 0.65 | 4.6 | 3 | <1 | 28 | 11 h 50 min |
| April | 64°F | 29°F | 46.3°F | 1.24 | 4.1 | 5 | <1 | 20 | 13 h 10 min |
| May | 73°F | 40°F | 56.4°F | 2.02 | 0.4 | 7 | 1 | 4 | 14 h 20 min |
| June | 83°F | 50°F | 66.7°F | 2.52 | 0.0 | 7 | 8 | <1 | 14 h 50 min |
| July | 89°F | 56°F | 72.6°F | 3.14 | 0.0 | 8 | 17 | <1 | 14 h 40 min |
| August | 87°F | 54°F | 70.5°F | 2.61 | 0.0 | 7 | 12 | <1 | 13 h 40 min |
| September | 80°F | 45°F | 62.3°F | 1.08 | 0.0 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 12 h 30 min |
| October | 67°F | 32°F | 49.2°F | 1.02 | 2.2 | 4 | <1 | 16 | 11 h 10 min |
| November | 54°F | 21°F | 37.5°F | 0.26 | 2.1 | 2 | <1 | 28 | 10 h |
| December | 45°F | 13°F | 29.1°F | 0.32 | 3.6 | 2 | <1 | 31 | 9 h 30 min |
| Year (annual) | 66°F | 33°F | 49.2°F | 15.35 | 24.4 | 53 | 44 | 188 |
The same normals in °C and millimetres
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Precip. | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 8°C | −11°C | −1.7°C | 4 mm | 8 cm |
| February | 8°C | −10°C | −0.7°C | 8 mm | 11 cm |
| March | 14°C | −5°C | 4.1°C | 17 mm | 12 cm |
| April | 18°C | −2°C | 7.9°C | 31 mm | 10 cm |
| May | 23°C | 5°C | 13.6°C | 51 mm | 1 cm |
| June | 28°C | 10°C | 19.3°C | 64 mm | 0 cm |
| July | 32°C | 13°C | 22.6°C | 80 mm | 0 cm |
| August | 30°C | 12°C | 21.4°C | 66 mm | 0 cm |
| September | 27°C | 7°C | 16.8°C | 27 mm | 0 cm |
| October | 19°C | 0°C | 9.6°C | 26 mm | 6 cm |
| November | 12°C | −6°C | 3.1°C | 7 mm | 5 cm |
| December | 7°C | −10°C | −1.6°C | 8 mm | 9 cm |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USC00054172; 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 Hugo?
Normal highs sit between 65°F and 85°F in May, June, September and October. Of those, October has the fewest days with rain (4).
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 USC00054172.
When is the last frost in Hugo?
In Hugo, the last spring frost (32°F) comes after May 10 in half of years and after May 25 in one year in ten; the first autumn frost comes before October 2 in half of years and before September 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
- May 101 year in 10 after May 25; 9 in 10 after April 30
- First autumn frost, half of years before
- October 21 year in 10 before September 21; 9 in 10 before October 13
NOAA puts the median frost-free season at 143 days, and the season without a hard freeze (28°F) at 162 days.
A hard freeze (28°F) comes after May 1 in half of springs and before October 10 in half of autumns.
The USDA's 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Hugo in zone 5b in ZIP code 80821, 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 USC00054172; 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 Hugo?
In a normal year in Hugo, 44 days a year reach 90°F (2 of them 100°F or more), 188 nights fall to 32°F or colder and 53 days bring measurable precipitation.
- Days at 90°F or more
- 44a normal year
- Days at 100°F or more
- 2a normal year
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 188a normal year
- Days that stay below freezing
- 22high of 32°F or less
- Days with 0.01 inch of precipitation
- 53a normal year
- Days with 1 inch of snow or more
- 10a normal year
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals, station USC00054172.
How sunny is Hugo?
Over a year 82% of the sunlight that would reach the ground under clear skies gets through the clouds in the area around Hugo, 4.9 kWh per square metre a day. August is the sunniest month (88%) and February the cloudiest (75%).
| Month | Share of clear-sky sunshine | Sunshine, kWh/m² a day |
|---|---|---|
| January | 79% | 2.6 |
| February | 75% | 3.4 |
| March | 78% | 4.7 |
| April | 77% | 5.8 |
| May | 79% | 6.7 |
| June | 85% | 7.4 |
| July | 87% | 7.3 |
| August | 88% | 6.5 |
| September | 87% | 5.4 |
| October | 82% | 4.0 |
| November | 81% | 2.8 |
| December | 76% | 2.2 |
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 Hugo need?
A normal year in Hugo brings 6,349 heating degree days, 18% more than the median U.S. place (5,373), and 605 cooling degree days, 33% fewer than the median (908). Seven months need 300 or more heating degree days, a monthly mean of about 55°F or colder. For gardens and crops, NOAA counts 2,652 growing degree days a year above 50°F.
| Month | Heating | Cooling |
|---|---|---|
| January | 1,116 | 0 |
| February | 959 | 0 |
| March | 797 | 0 |
| April | 560 | 0 |
| May | 280 | 15 |
| June | 56 | 109 |
| July | 7 | 242 |
| August | 13 | 185 |
| September | 133 | 53 |
| October | 492 | 1 |
| November | 825 | 0 |
| December | 1,111 | 0 |
| Year (annual) | 6,349 | 605 |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USC00054172. 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 Hugo's climate compare?
Hugo is warmer than 67 of the other 124 places with their own NOAA record in Colorado, and wetter than 60. Across the 7,247 U.S. stations with normals, its annual mean of 49.2°F is warmer than 37%.
In the Köppen classification computed from these normals, Hugo is BSk: cold semi-arid steppe. 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.
Questions about Hugo's climate
What is the coldest month in Hugo?
January, with a normal high of 46°F and a normal low of 12°F. The warmest is July (89°F by day, 56°F at night).
Does it snow in Hugo?
Yes: 24 inches in a normal year, falling on 12 days with 0.1 inch or more, the most in March (4.6 inches).
What is the rainiest month in Hugo?
July, with 3.14 in of precipitation in a normal year; the driest is January with 0.16 in.
What plant hardiness zone is Hugo in?
The USDA's 2023 map puts Hugo in zone 5b in ZIP code 80821, the nearest ZIP area.
How late can frost come in Hugo?
In half of years the last 32°F night comes after May 10; 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
- Genoa, CO9 miles from this station, 49.9°F a year
- Limon, CO12 miles from this station, 46.7°F a year
- Matheson, CO19 miles from this station, 48.3°F a year
- Flagler, CO25 miles from this station, 51.2°F a year
- Compare two placesMonth by month, side by side
Download these normals (CSV) · JSON · How these figures are made