Montrose, CO Climate: Temperature & Rain by Month
Pulled from NOAA NCEI 1991–2020 normals →: climate measurements used in PlainClimate's documented score
30-year climate normals (1991-2020) from Montrose's primary NOAA station, MONTROSE 11 ENE - 2 stations mapped to the area.
The climate verdict for Montrose
Montrose, Colorado has a mixed annual climate rather than one dominant extreme. Its NOAA normal shows an annual average of 43°F. At 52/100 (moderate) the climate comfort score falls in the bottom third of the station-mapped U.S. score corpus, exceeding only 24% of scores.
- 43°F
- yearly average temperature, NOAA normal
- 52/100
- comfort score, above 24% of station-mapped location scores
- 21.2"
- annual precipitation
- 134 days
- growing season, frost-free days
Montrose: NOAA 1991-2020 normals describe a typical year, not a forecast. Method: /methodology.
Normals record plate
Sheet USW00003060 · Montrose, CO 43°F mean · 21.2" precip
TEMP-COOL · RANK-COOL · PHOTO-FINISH · PRCP-DRY · SWING-MID · COMF-LOW · LOAD-HEAT · STN-MULTI · BOOK-FULL
- TEMP-COOL 43°F
- RANK-COOL #755
- PHOTO-FINISH ≈ Dillon U of Mon…
- PRCP-DRY 21.2"
- SWING-MID 43°F
- COMF-LOW 52/100
- LOAD-HEAT 8,185 HDD
- STN-MULTI USW00003060
- BOOK-FULL 6/6 fields
Nearest mean-temperature peer: Dillon U of Montana Western, MT (+ 0.1 °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.
- Montrose (this station) 43°F
- Cold Alamosa, CO 43°F
- Hot Burris, WY 43°F
- Near Dillon U of Mon…, MT 43°F
- Near Aspen Pitkin Co…, CO 43°F
Climate Living Index · Montrose
Montrose: 22/100 · grade F
Montrose publishes 4 of 6 Living Index dimensions (NOAA annual/seasonal normals · NOAA daily multivariate normals); 2 missing weights rescale to 100.
PlainClimate-derived for Montrose, not an official NOAA rating. Rankings still use Comfort Score 52/100 (separate formula). Breakpoints and limits.
| Dimension | Station value | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Precipitation balance | 21.2 in · 13.8 from 35 in | 51/100 · D |
| Normal heat + freeze calendar | 192 calendar days | 18/100 · F |
| Frost-free season | 134 days/year | 15/100 · F |
| Annual temperature balance | 42.7°F · 24.8° from 67.5°F | 11/100 · F |
Montrose · 2026-08-04 · NOAA NCEI Climate Normals · method · Comfort Score method.
Montrose is a continental Köppen climate: Dsb
Coldest-month mean 22.6°F and warmest-month mean 65.3°F place this station in continental, dry-summer, warm summer climates (Dsb). Class Dsb is the Peel et al. (2007) label for this station's monthly mean temperature and precipitation normals: continental, specifically continental, dry-summer, warm summer.
- Köppen code
- Dsb
- Group
- Continental
- Warmest month
- 65.3°F
- Coldest month
- 22.6°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 Montrose sits across the climate record
Three NOAA fields for Montrose's primary station, temperature, precipitation, and seasonal swing, are ranked against every station-mapped normal that carries the same field.
- Annual temperature
- Cooler than 89%
- Among 6,861 stations, Montrose sits in the cooler third of annual means.
- Annual precipitation
- Drier than 71%
- Montrose's annual total ranks in the drier third of 6,352 measured normals.
- Seasonal temperature swing
- 47th percentile swing
- Typical seasonal amplitude versus 6,861 complete station-years.
How Montrose compares across U.S. station-mapped locations
Montrose's comfort score vs. all station-mapped locations
PlainClimate composite comfort index (1–100), NOAA 1991–2020 normals
52 24th percentile score exceeds 24% 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%). Below this entry.
- 40–50: 1,113 station-mapped locations (18%). Below this entry.
- 50–60: 1,329 station-mapped locations (21%). This entry sits in this band.
- 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
Monthly Temperatures
Average daily high and low temperatures by month
| Month | Avg High | Avg Low | Mean | Precip | Snow | Freeze Days | 90°F+ Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 31°F (0°C) | 14°F (-10°C) | 23°F (-5°C) | 1.7" | N/A | 30.9 | 0.0 |
| February | 34°F (1°C) | 17°F (-8°C) | 26°F (-4°C) | 1.7" | N/A | 27.5 | 0.0 |
| March | 42°F (5°C) | 23°F (-5°C) | 33°F (0°C) | 2.2" | N/A | 27.5 | 0.0 |
| April | 50°F (10°C) | 29°F (-2°C) | 40°F (4°C) | 2.6" | N/A | 19.9 | 0.0 |
| May | 61°F (16°C) | 38°F (3°C) | 50°F (10°C) | 1.8" | N/A | 7.8 | 0.0 |
| June | 72°F (22°C) | 47°F (8°C) | 60°F (15°C) | 0.6" | N/A | 0.3 | 0.0 |
| July | 78°F (25°C) | 53°F (12°C) | 65°F (19°C) | 1.2" | N/A | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| August | 75°F (24°C) | 51°F (11°C) | 63°F (17°C) | 1.8" | N/A | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| September | 67°F (20°C) | 44°F (7°C) | 55°F (13°C) | 2.1" | N/A | 1.9 | 0.0 |
| October | 55°F (13°C) | 33°F (0°C) | 44°F (7°C) | 1.9" | N/A | 12.8 | 0.0 |
| November | 42°F (5°C) | 23°F (-5°C) | 32°F (0°C) | 1.8" | N/A | 25.8 | 0.0 |
| December | 31°F (-1°C) | 15°F (-10°C) | 23°F (-5°C) | 1.7" | N/A | 30.6 | 0.0 |
The year, day by day
Summer here tops out rather than builds: the warmest normal high is 78°F around July 14, short of 90°F on every date, while 192 dates carry a normal low at or below freezing, the coldest 13°F near December 24.
The freezing stretch
The normal low stays at or below 32°F into April 27, then returns to freezing around October 19, covering 192 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 December 21, when 40% of years recorded at least a hundredth of an inch. The driest is June 16 at 19%. Summed across the calendar, that is about 114 wet dates a year.
The widest day
June 17 carries the biggest normal gap between afternoon and dawn, 25°F between the normal high and the normal low.
Look up any date
Any date's 1991–2020 normal for Montrose.
Where Montrose Stands Nationally
Freezing is routine here by normals standards — the normal low reaches 32°F or colder on about 192 nights a year, more than most ranked stations.
Montrose earns one nationally notable standing (outer quintile) against 6,860 NOAA 1991–2020 normals stations, middle-of-the-pack metrics stay silent here.
Monthly Precipitation
Average monthly rainfall and snowfall
10.7 days with precipitation
11.3 days with precipitation
11.2 days with precipitation
11.1 days with precipitation
9.0 days with precipitation
5.1 days with precipitation
10.2 days with precipitation
9.0 days with precipitation
7.9 days with precipitation
8.2 days with precipitation
7.6 days with precipitation
12.4 days with precipitation
Montrose spreads its precipitation across the year
Neither half of the year dominates here: June through August take 17% of the annual total and December through February 24%, with neither reaching the 35% that would mark a distinct wet season. Montrose has no dry season to plan around, though it does carry a 42.7°F seasonal spread.
The gap between the wettest and driest month still matters: April averages 2.6" and June 0.6". The three wettest months together take 32% of the year, against the 25% a perfectly flat distribution would give them.
Shares are computed from this station's own 1991-2020 monthly precipitation normals. "Spread across the year" means neither the June-August nor the December-February share reaches 35%; it describes an average year, not the variability of any single one.
Montrose is dry, and what does fall arrives gently
Only about 114 days a year record measurable precipitation here, 31% of the calendar, and they carry 21.2" between them. At roughly 0.19 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 December at about 12 wet days; the driest is June at about 5.
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.
Frost Dates & Growing Season
First Fall Freeze
October 1
50% probability date
Last Spring Freeze
May 20
50% probability date
Growing Season
134 days
Heating & Cooling Degree Days
Annual totals indicate energy demand for heating and cooling
Heating Degree Days
8,185
Higher = more heating needed
Cooling Degree Days
94
Higher = more cooling needed
Warmest Month
July
Coldest Month
January
Nationwide similar cities
Other rankable U.S. places outside CO closest to Montrose 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 (43°F here).
- Danbury, WI 43°F · 0.0°F off
- Ennis, MT 43°F · 0.0°F off
- Holcombe, WI 43°F · 0.0°F off
- Idaho Falls, ID 43°F · 0.0°F off
Closest by annual precipitation
Nearest out-of-state peers by annual precipitation (21.2" here), excluding temperature-peer places.
- Edgeley, ND 21.1" · 0.0" off
- Stephan, SD 21.2" · 0.0" off
- McHenry, ND 21.1" · 0.0" off
- Alpine, UT 21.1" · 0.0" off
Data-derived climate profile
How Montrose's climate pattern fits together
heating led · moderate · mid swing
Montrose's energy balance leans toward cold weather: 8,185 annual heating degree days against 94 for cooling. Its 42.7°F seasonal range still makes the monthly rows more useful than the annual average alone.
Only about 134 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.
July and January mark the typical warm and cold ends of the calendar in Montrose's middle-range seasonal profile. The measured spread is 42.7°F. The annual average is 43°F. Neither the annual mean nor one extreme month represents the full calendar on its own.
Montrose's 21.2 inches of annual precipitation falls in PlainClimate's middle band, so “wet” or “dry” is not the leading description. Snowfall is not added to the interpretation because its annual value is missing. Temperature balance and the calendar distribution carry more information than the annual moisture label alone.
These labels group NOAA 1991-2020 normals from Montrose's primary station, so the winter figures are a thirty-year average and not a floor: a single hard season can run well below them. Treat each band as a descriptive range for Montrose, not an official NOAA class or a year-ahead forecast.
Questions about Montrose's climate
How much rain does Montrose get? ▼
How cold does Montrose get in winter? ▼
How much energy does heating and cooling require in Montrose? ▼
Data Sources
Data source: NOAA U.S. Climate Normals v1.0.1 (1991-2020). All figures on this page are from Montrose's primary station: MONTROSE 11 ENE (USW00003060). 2 NOAA stations are mapped to the Montrose area; the primary station's record is used for consistency. For informational purposes only.
Place identity: U.S. Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer places. The 2024 Census Gazetteer identifies the exact name-and-state match as an incorporated place (GEOID 0851745). Match rule for Montrose: exact normalized name + state only, no fuzzy expansion, so nearby differently spelled facilities stay unmatched.
On this page every temperature, precipitation, and derived score for Montrose 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.