Idalia, Colorado climate: Normal weather by month, frost dates and records
Idalia's normal year runs from 16°F January nights to 90°F July afternoons, with 19.1 inches of precipitation and 29 inches of snow a year. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a yearly mean of 10.3°C, January lows of −9°C, July highs of 32°C, 486 mm of precipitation a year.
- NOAA stationIdalia
- Station IDUSC00054242
- Location39.70°N 102.29°W
- Elevation3,965 ft (1,209 m)
- Population (census place)94
On October 23, the normal high in Idalia is 62°F and the normal low 33°F, and the chance of measurable rain or snow is 12%.
Normals describe a typical year at the station, not a forecast. The National Weather Service forecast for Idalia.
- Jan 42° 16°
- Feb 44° 18°
- Mar 55° 26°
- Apr 62° 33°
- May 72° 44°
- Jun 84° 54°
- Jul 90° 61°
- Aug 87° 58°
- Sep 79° 49°
- Oct 65° 36°
- Nov 52° 25°
- Dec 43° 17°
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 Idalia each month?
July is the warmest month, with normal highs of 90°F; January the coldest, with normal lows of 16°F. The most precipitation falls in August (3.19 in), the least in December (0.43 in).
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Precip. | Snow | Wet days | 90°F days | Freezing nights | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 42°F | 16°F | 29.1°F | 0.47 | 4.4 | 2 | <1 | 30 | 9 h 40 min |
| February | 44°F | 18°F | 31.1°F | 0.46 | 5.0 | 3 | <1 | 27 | 10 h 40 min |
| March | 55°F | 26°F | 40.3°F | 1.03 | 5.1 | 4 | <1 | 24 | 11 h 50 min |
| April | 62°F | 33°F | 47.7°F | 1.83 | 3.4 | 6 | <1 | 13 | 13 h 10 min |
| May | 72°F | 44°F | 57.7°F | 2.82 | 0.2 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 14 h 20 min |
| June | 84°F | 54°F | 69.1°F | 2.84 | 0.0 | 8 | 9 | <1 | 15 h |
| July | 90°F | 61°F | 75.1°F | 2.96 | 0.0 | 7 | 17 | <1 | 14 h 40 min |
| August | 87°F | 58°F | 72.6°F | 3.19 | 0.0 | 6 | 13 | <1 | 13 h 50 min |
| September | 79°F | 49°F | 64.2°F | 1.20 | 0.5 | 4 | 6 | 1 | 12 h 30 min |
| October | 65°F | 36°F | 50.7°F | 1.38 | 3.2 | 4 | <1 | 10 | 11 h 10 min |
| November | 52°F | 25°F | 38.6°F | 0.53 | 2.9 | 3 | <1 | 25 | 10 h |
| December | 43°F | 17°F | 29.8°F | 0.43 | 3.8 | 3 | <1 | 30 | 9 h 20 min |
| Year (annual) | 65°F | 37°F | 50.5°F | 19.14 | 28.5 | 58 | 47 | 163 |
The same normals in °C and millimetres
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Precip. | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6°C | −9°C | −1.6°C | 12 mm | 11 cm |
| February | 7°C | −8°C | −0.5°C | 12 mm | 13 cm |
| March | 13°C | −3°C | 4.6°C | 26 mm | 13 cm |
| April | 17°C | 1°C | 8.7°C | 46 mm | 9 cm |
| May | 22°C | 7°C | 14.3°C | 72 mm | 1 cm |
| June | 29°C | 12°C | 20.6°C | 72 mm | 0 cm |
| July | 32°C | 16°C | 23.9°C | 75 mm | 0 cm |
| August | 31°C | 15°C | 22.6°C | 81 mm | 0 cm |
| September | 26°C | 10°C | 17.9°C | 30 mm | 1 cm |
| October | 19°C | 2°C | 10.4°C | 35 mm | 8 cm |
| November | 11°C | −4°C | 3.7°C | 13 mm | 7 cm |
| December | 6°C | −8°C | −1.2°C | 11 mm | 10 cm |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USC00054242; 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 Idalia?
Normal highs sit between 65°F and 85°F in May, June, September and October. Of those, September 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 USC00054242.
When is the last frost in Idalia?
In Idalia, the last spring frost (32°F) comes after May 4 in half of years and after May 17 in one year in ten; the first autumn frost comes before October 9 in half of years and before September 24 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 41 year in 10 after May 17; 9 in 10 after April 21
- First autumn frost, half of years before
- October 91 year in 10 before September 24; 9 in 10 before October 20
NOAA puts the median frost-free season at 155 days, and the season without a hard freeze (28°F) at 174 days.
A hard freeze (28°F) comes after April 25 in half of springs and before October 18 in half of autumns.
The USDA's 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Idalia in zone 6a in ZIP code 80735, 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 USC00054242; 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 Idalia?
In a normal year in Idalia, 47 days a year reach 90°F (5 of them 100°F or more), 163 nights fall to 32°F or colder and 58 days bring measurable precipitation.
- Days at 90°F or more
- 47a normal year
- Days at 100°F or more
- 5a normal year
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 163a normal year
- Days that stay below freezing
- 28high of 32°F or less
- Days with 0.01 inch of precipitation
- 58a normal year
- Days with 1 inch of snow or more
- 11a normal year
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals, station USC00054242.
How sunny is Idalia?
Over a year 82% of the sunlight that would reach the ground under clear skies gets through the clouds in the area around Idalia, 4.9 kWh per square metre a day. July 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% | 5.7 |
| May | 79% | 6.6 |
| June | 86% | 7.4 |
| July | 88% | 7.3 |
| August | 88% | 6.5 |
| September | 86% | 5.3 |
| October | 81% | 3.9 |
| November | 81% | 2.8 |
| December | 78% | 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 Idalia need?
A normal year in Idalia brings 6,099 heating degree days, 14% more than the median U.S. place (5,373), and 854 cooling degree days, 6% 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 3,032 growing degree days a year above 50°F.
| Month | Heating | Cooling |
|---|---|---|
| January | 1,111 | 0 |
| February | 949 | 0 |
| March | 764 | 0 |
| April | 519 | 1 |
| May | 253 | 28 |
| June | 42 | 166 |
| July | 5 | 318 |
| August | 10 | 244 |
| September | 115 | 91 |
| October | 448 | 5 |
| November | 792 | 0 |
| December | 1,091 | 0 |
| Year (annual) | 6,099 | 854 |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USC00054242. 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 Idalia's climate compare?
Idalia is warmer than 84 of the other 124 places with their own NOAA record in Colorado, and wetter than 102. Across the 7,247 U.S. stations with normals, its annual mean of 50.5°F is warmer than 43%.
In the Köppen classification computed from these normals, Idalia is Dfa: continental, no dry season, hot 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.
Questions about Idalia's climate
What is the coldest month in Idalia?
January, with a normal high of 42°F and a normal low of 16°F. The warmest is July (90°F by day, 61°F at night).
Does it snow in Idalia?
Yes: 29 inches in a normal year, falling on 13 days with 0.1 inch or more, the most in March (5.1 inches).
What is the rainiest month in Idalia?
August, with 3.19 in of precipitation in a normal year; the driest is December with 0.43 in.
What plant hardiness zone is Idalia in?
The USDA's 2023 map puts Idalia in zone 6a in ZIP code 80735, the nearest ZIP area.
How late can frost come in Idalia?
In half of years the last 32°F night comes after May 4; in one year in ten it comes after May 17. Waiting until May 17 leaves about a one-in-ten chance of a later frost.
Nearby and next
- Colorado climateThe statewide normals and every place in the state
- Bonny Dam (2 mi NE), CO10 miles from this station, 51.7°F a year
- Joes, CO21 miles from this station, 51.2°F a year
- St. Francis, KS26 miles from this station, 52.0°F a year
- Wray, CO27 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