La Junta, Colorado climate: Normal weather by month, frost dates and records
La Junta's normal year runs from 18°F January nights to 95°F July afternoons, with 11.3 inches of precipitation a year. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a yearly mean of 12.7°C, January lows of −8°C, July highs of 35°C, 288 mm of precipitation a year.
- NOAA stationLa Junta Municipal Airport
- Station IDUSW00023067
- Location38.05°N 103.51°W
- Elevation4,194 ft (1,278 m)
- Population6,986
On October 23, the normal high in La Junta is 67°F and the normal low 36°F, and the chance of measurable rain or snow is 13%.
Normals describe a typical year at the station, not a forecast. The National Weather Service forecast for La Junta.
- Jan 47° 18°
- Feb 51° 21°
- Mar 61° 30°
- Apr 69° 38°
- May 79° 48°
- Jun 90° 58°
- Jul 95° 64°
- Aug 92° 62°
- Sep 84° 53°
- Oct 71° 39°
- Nov 57° 27°
- Dec 46° 18°
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 La Junta each month?
July is the warmest month, with normal highs of 95°F; January the coldest, with normal lows of 18°F. The most precipitation falls in July (2.21 in), the least in January (0.21 in).
Each month has its own page with the day-by-day normals, the month's records and its recent years:
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Precip. | Wet days | 90°F days | Freezing nights | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 47°F | 18°F | 32.3°F | 0.21 | 3 | <1 | 30 | 9 h 50 min |
| February | 51°F | 21°F | 35.9°F | 0.25 | 3 | <1 | 26 | 10 h 50 min |
| March | 61°F | 30°F | 45.5°F | 0.71 | 5 | <1 | 20 | 11 h 50 min |
| April | 69°F | 38°F | 53.2°F | 1.22 | 6 | <1 | 7 | 13 h 10 min |
| May | 79°F | 48°F | 63.4°F | 1.59 | 7 | 5 | 1 | 14 h 10 min |
| June | 90°F | 58°F | 74.2°F | 1.31 | 7 | 18 | <1 | 14 h 50 min |
| July | 95°F | 64°F | 79.1°F | 2.21 | 8 | 24 | <1 | 14 h 30 min |
| August | 92°F | 62°F | 76.8°F | 1.43 | 8 | 21 | <1 | 13 h 40 min |
| September | 84°F | 53°F | 68.6°F | 0.84 | 5 | 11 | <1 | 12 h 30 min |
| October | 71°F | 39°F | 54.6°F | 0.94 | 4 | 2 | 7 | 11 h 20 min |
| November | 57°F | 27°F | 41.8°F | 0.37 | 3 | <1 | 23 | 10 h 10 min |
| December | 46°F | 18°F | 32.3°F | 0.26 | 3 | <1 | 30 | 9 h 30 min |
| Year (annual) | 70°F | 40°F | 54.8°F | 11.34 | 62 | 80 | 144 |
The same normals in °C and millimetres
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 8°C | −8°C | 0.2°C | 5 mm |
| February | 10°C | −6°C | 2.2°C | 6 mm |
| March | 16°C | −1°C | 7.5°C | 18 mm |
| April | 20°C | 3°C | 11.8°C | 31 mm |
| May | 26°C | 9°C | 17.4°C | 40 mm |
| June | 32°C | 15°C | 23.4°C | 33 mm |
| July | 35°C | 18°C | 26.2°C | 56 mm |
| August | 33°C | 17°C | 24.9°C | 36 mm |
| September | 29°C | 12°C | 20.3°C | 21 mm |
| October | 21°C | 4°C | 12.6°C | 24 mm |
| November | 14°C | −3°C | 5.4°C | 9 mm |
| December | 8°C | −8°C | 0.2°C | 7 mm |
NOAA publishes no 1991-2020 snowfall normal for this station. La Junta's own co-op station La Junta station does: 34 inches of snow in a normal year (see the other stations below).
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USW00023067; 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 La Junta?
Normal highs sit between 65°F and 85°F in April, May, 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 USW00023067.
When is the last frost in La Junta?
In La Junta, the last spring frost (32°F) comes after April 24 in half of years and after May 6 in one year in ten; the first autumn frost comes before October 15 in half of years and before October 3 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
- April 241 year in 10 after May 6; 9 in 10 after April 10
- First autumn frost, half of years before
- October 151 year in 10 before October 3; 9 in 10 before October 25
NOAA puts the median frost-free season at 173 days, and the season without a hard freeze (28°F) at 194 days.
A hard freeze (28°F) comes after April 12 in half of springs and before October 23 in half of autumns.
The USDA's 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts La Junta in zone 6a in ZIP code 81077, the nearest ZIP area. By the map's own method, the average of each year's coldest night over 1991-2020, La Junta's NOAA station is in zone 6a: the coldest night of a typical year reaches −5°F (29 complete years).
Frost dates for every NOAA station in Colorado · Frost dates by ZIP code
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals (frost probabilities), station USW00023067; USDA 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map, ZIP listings: PRISM Group, Oregon State University, https://prism.oregonstate.edu, accessed October 8, 2026; the station zone: ACIS daily lows, 1991-2020. 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 La Junta?
In a normal year in La Junta, 80 days a year reach 90°F (18 of them 100°F or more), 144 nights fall to 32°F or colder and 62 days bring measurable precipitation.
- Days at 90°F or more
- 80a normal year
- Days at 100°F or more
- 18a normal year
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 144a normal year
- Days that stay below freezing
- 17high of 32°F or less
- Days with 0.01 inch of precipitation
- 62a normal year
The highest temperature in this station's record (since 1945) is 110°F, on June 28, 1990; the lowest is −23°F, on January 28, 1948.
The wettest calendar year on that record is 1990, with 17.40 in; the snowiest season is 1972–73, with 59.1 inches.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals, station USW00023067; records: ACIS (NOAA Regional Climate Centers), station USW00023067. Records use complete months only; a month missing more than three days is left out.
How humid and windy is La Junta, and how clear are its skies?
The summer (June-August) dew point averages 52°F. The muggiest month is July, with an average dew point of 55°F; the driest air comes in December (16°F). March is the windiest month (11.5 mph on average), and June has the most clear or nearly clear hours (86%).
| Month | Dew point | Humidity | Afternoon humidity | Wind | Clear or few clouds | Overcast |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 18°F | 58% | 34% | 9.0 mph | 75% | 17% |
| February | 18°F | 47% | 24% | 10.4 mph | 76% | 17% |
| March | 26°F | 45% | 23% | 11.5 mph | 74% | 18% |
| April | 34°F | 45% | 23% | 11.5 mph | 71% | 18% |
| May | 45°F | 46% | 24% | 10.9 mph | 77% | 13% |
| June | 50°F | 41% | 20% | 10.5 mph | 86% | 5% |
| July | 55°F | 49% | 26% | 9.1 mph | 82% | 8% |
| August | 50°F | 46% | 24% | 9.1 mph | 84% | 7% |
| September | 39°F | 46% | 23% | 9.4 mph | 86% | 8% |
| October | 28°F | 51% | 28% | 9.3 mph | 79% | 15% |
| November | 19°F | 53% | 31% | 9.1 mph | 81% | 14% |
| December | 16°F | 60% | 39% | 8.8 mph | 79% | 14% |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 hourly normals, station USW00023067. Monthly averages of all hours; afternoon humidity at 3 p.m. local standard time; sky as the share of hours NOAA's observations rate clear or few clouds (a dash where NOAA publishes no sky value).
How sunny is La Junta?
Over a year 84% of the sunlight that would reach the ground under clear skies gets through the clouds in the area around La Junta, 5.1 kWh per square metre a day. July is the sunniest month (89%) and February the cloudiest (76%).
| Month | Share of clear-sky sunshine | Sunshine, kWh/m² a day |
|---|---|---|
| January | 80% | 2.7 |
| February | 76% | 3.5 |
| March | 81% | 4.9 |
| April | 80% | 6.1 |
| May | 82% | 7.0 |
| June | 87% | 7.6 |
| July | 89% | 7.4 |
| August | 89% | 6.7 |
| September | 88% | 5.5 |
| October | 84% | 4.1 |
| November | 84% | 3.0 |
| December | 79% | 2.4 |
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 La Junta need?
A normal year in La Junta brings 5,036 heating degree days, 6% fewer than the median U.S. place (5,373), and 1,356 cooling degree days, 49% more 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 3,916 growing degree days a year above 50°F.
| Month | Heating | Cooling |
|---|---|---|
| January | 1,014 | 0 |
| February | 815 | 0 |
| March | 607 | 1 |
| April | 360 | 7 |
| May | 129 | 80 |
| June | 11 | 286 |
| July | 1 | 436 |
| August | 2 | 368 |
| September | 55 | 163 |
| October | 336 | 15 |
| November | 695 | 1 |
| December | 1,013 | 0 |
| Year (annual) | 5,036 | 1,356 |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USW00023067. 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.
Has La Junta been warmer than normal lately?
2025 averaged 55.2°F, 0.4°F above the 1991-2020 normal of 54.8°F. 3 of the 5 complete years since 2021 ran warmer than the normal.
| Year | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 56.5°F | +1.8°F | 10.64 |
| 2022 | 54.0°F | −0.8°F | 8.31 |
| 2023 | 53.9°F | −0.9°F | 14.51 |
| 2024 | 55.9°F | +1.1°F | 13.45 |
| 2025 | 55.2°F | +0.4°F | 8.20 |
Over 67 complete years from 1946 to 2025, the station's annual mean temperature rose at a fitted 3.6°F per century (+0.20°C per decade). A fitted rate summarizes the whole record; single years swing well above and below it.
Source: observed years: ACIS, station USW00023067; trend: NOAA GHCN-Monthly v4. A year counts only with all twelve months complete.
How does La Junta's climate compare?
La Junta is warmer than 124 of the other 124 places with their own NOAA record in Colorado, and wetter than 20. Across the 7,247 U.S. stations with normals, its annual mean of 54.8°F is warmer than 59%.
In the Köppen classification computed from these normals, La Junta 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.
Which places near La Junta share this climate record?
2 places have no NOAA station with 1991-2020 normals of their own, and this station is the nearest full record. A place's own climate can differ from these figures, by several degrees where it sits much higher or lower than the station, nearer the coast, or inside a large city's heat; for the larger places the next nearest records are named with their yearly mean, so the spread around them is visible, and places of 50,000 or more have their own page with NOAA's gridded normals.
- North La Junta, CO512 people · 3 mi S
- La Junta Gardens, CO122 people · 4 mi SW
Source: Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer (place centers) and Vintage 2024 population estimates. Distance and direction from the station to each place's center.
What do La Junta's other NOAA stations record?
3 more NOAA stations keep 1991-2020 normals in or near La Junta. This page uses La Junta Municipal Airport; the others differ by site and elevation:
| Station | From this station | Elevation | Year | Jan low | Jul high | Precip. | Snow | Last frost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| La Junta (17 mi WSW) USW00003063 | 21 mi SW | 4,386 ft | 52.1°F | 13°F | 94°F | 13.4 | – | May 8 |
| La Junta (20 mi S) USC00054726 | 21 mi S | 4,210 ft | 54.0°F | 17°F | 93°F | 14.8 | 26 | April 27 |
| La Junta station USC00054724 | 5 mi S | 4,089 ft | 53.7°F | 17°F | 93°F | 13.6 | 34 | April 26 |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 normals for each station. Last frost: the median last spring date of 32°F.
Questions about La Junta's climate
What is the coldest month in La Junta?
January, with a normal high of 47°F and a normal low of 18°F. The warmest is July (95°F by day, 64°F at night).
Does it snow in La Junta?
Yes. NOAA publishes no 1991-2020 snowfall normal for La Junta's NOAA station; La Junta's own co-op station La Junta station records 34 inches of snow in a normal year.
What is the rainiest month in La Junta?
July, with 2.21 in of precipitation in a normal year; the driest is January with 0.21 in.
What plant hardiness zone is La Junta in?
The USDA's 2023 map puts La Junta in zone 6a in ZIP code 81077, the nearest ZIP area. By the same method at La Junta's NOAA station, the coldest night of a typical year reaches −5°F (29 years, 1991-2020): zone 6a.
How late can frost come in La Junta?
In half of years the last 32°F night comes after April 24; in one year in ten it comes after May 6. Waiting until May 6 leaves about a one-in-ten chance of a later frost.
Nearby and next
- La Junta in OctoberThis month day by day, its records and recent years
- Colorado climateThe statewide normals and every place in the state
- Cheraw, CO4 miles from this station, 52.5°F a year
- Rocky Ford, CO10 miles from this station, 53.8°F a year
- Las Animas, CO16 miles from this station, 54.5°F a year
- Ordway, CO17 miles from this station, 52.1°F a year
- Compare two placesMonth by month, side by side
Download these normals (CSV) · JSON · How these figures are made