Palisade, CO Climate: Temperature & Rain by Month
Annual temperature and rainfall from NOAA NCEI's 1991–2020 normals →; comfort score computed by PlainClimate
30-year climate normals (1991-2020) from Palisade's primary NOAA station, PALISADE.
The climate verdict for Palisade
Dryness leads the climate profile for Palisade, Colorado, with 10.5 inches of precipitation a year. NOAA records an annual average of 54°F. Its climate comfort score of 58/100 (moderate) lands mid-pack nationally, exceeding 37% of station-mapped location scores.
- 54°F
- annual average temperature (NOAA normal)
- 58/100
- comfort score, above 37% of station-mapped location scores
- 10.5"
- annual precipitation · 13" snow
- 192 days
- frost-free growing season
Palisade: NOAA 1991-2020 normals describe a typical year, not a forecast. Method: /methodology.
Normals record plate
Sheet USC00056266 · Palisade, CO 54°F mean · 10.5" precip
TEMP-COOL · RANK-MID · PHOTO-FINISH · PRCP-ARID · SWING-WIDE · COMF-MID · LOAD-HEAT · STN-1 · BOOK-FULL
- TEMP-COOL 54°F
- RANK-MID #3,979
- PHOTO-FINISH ≈ Uravan
- PRCP-ARID 10.5"
- SWING-WIDE 48°F
- COMF-MID 58/100
- LOAD-HEAT 5,087 HDD
- STN-1 USC00056266
- BOOK-FULL 6/6 fields
Nearest mean-temperature peer: Uravan, CO (+ 0 °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.
- Hot Newton, IL 55°F
- Palisade (this station) 54°F
- Cold Walsh, CO 54°F
- Near Uravan, CO 54°F
- Near Olney, IL 54°F
Climate Living Index · Palisade
Palisade: 43/100 · grade D
Palisade publishes 5 of 6 Living Index dimensions (NOAA annual/seasonal normals · NOAA daily multivariate normals); 1 missing weight rescale to 100.
PlainClimate-derived for Palisade, not an official NOAA rating. Rankings still use Comfort Score 58/100 (separate formula). Breakpoints and limits.
| Dimension | Station value | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Frost-free season | 192 days/year | 59/100 · C |
| Snowfall burden | 12.9 inches/year | 59/100 · C |
| Annual temperature balance | 54.4°F · 13.1° from 67.5°F | 57/100 · C |
| Normal heat + freeze calendar | 166 calendar days | 35/100 · F |
| Precipitation balance | 10.5 in · 24.5 from 35 in | 14/100 · F |
Palisade · 2026-08-04 · NOAA NCEI Climate Normals · method · Comfort Score method.
Palisade's normals sit in a dry climate class: BSk
Precipitation is low relative to temperature but above true desert thresholds: cold semi-arid steppe (BSk). Class BSk is the Peel et al. (2007) label for this station's monthly mean temperature and precipitation normals: dry (arid or semi-arid), specifically cold semi-arid steppe.
- Köppen code
- BSk
- Group
- Dry (arid or semi-arid)
- Warmest month
- 78.7°F
- Coldest month
- 30.3°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 Palisade sits across the climate record
Three NOAA fields for Palisade's primary station, temperature, precipitation, and seasonal swing, are ranked against every station-mapped normal that carries the same field.
- Annual temperature
- 58th percentile warmth
- Mid-pack annual mean versus 6,861 station normals.
- Annual precipitation
- Drier than 93%
- Palisade's annual total ranks in the drier third of 6,352 measured normals.
- Seasonal temperature swing
- Wider than 75%
- Warmest-to-coldest month gap for Palisade is large versus 6,861 complete station-years.
How Palisade compares across U.S. station-mapped locations
Palisade's comfort score vs. all station-mapped locations
PlainClimate composite comfort index (1–100), NOAA 1991–2020 normals
58 37th percentile score exceeds 37% 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
Palisade's measured station temperature trend
MethodologyAcross 75 complete annual observations from 1913 to 2025, PALISADE warmed at a fitted rate of 0.16°C per decade. The line shows the fitted change relative to its first year, not raw year-to-year temperatures or a forecast.
- Palisade primary station fitted change +0.16 °C/decade
Monthly Temperatures
Average daily high and low temperatures by month
| Month | Avg High | Avg Low | Mean | Precip | Snow | Freeze Days | 90°F+ Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 40°F (4°C) | 21°F (-6°C) | 30°F (-1°C) | 0.6" | 4.1" | 29.6 | 0.0 |
| February | 47°F (8°C) | 26°F (-3°C) | 37°F (3°C) | 0.7" | 2.5" | 22.3 | 0.0 |
| March | 58°F (15°C) | 35°F (1°C) | 47°F (8°C) | 0.8" | 1.2" | 12.4 | 0.0 |
| April | 66°F (19°C) | 40°F (5°C) | 53°F (12°C) | 1.1" | 0.4" | 3.8 | 0.0 |
| May | 76°F (24°C) | 50°F (10°C) | 63°F (17°C) | 1.1" | 0.0" | 0.3 | 1.3 |
| June | 87°F (31°C) | 59°F (15°C) | 73°F (23°C) | 0.6" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 14.2 |
| July | 93°F (34°C) | 65°F (18°C) | 79°F (26°C) | 0.7" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 24.2 |
| August | 90°F (32°C) | 63°F (17°C) | 76°F (25°C) | 0.9" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 17.4 |
| September | 81°F (27°C) | 55°F (13°C) | 68°F (20°C) | 1.4" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 3.2 |
| October | 67°F (20°C) | 42°F (5°C) | 55°F (13°C) | 1.3" | 0.3" | 3.3 | 0.0 |
| November | 53°F (12°C) | 31°F (-1°C) | 42°F (5°C) | 0.8" | 1.0" | 17.8 | 0.0 |
| December | 41°F (5°C) | 22°F (-6°C) | 31°F (-1°C) | 0.6" | 3.4" | 29.3 | 0.0 |
The year, day by day
Palisade works both ends of the calendar. Normal highs climb to 93°F by July 14 and hold at or above 90°F on 52 dates, then normal lows drop to freezing or below on 114 dates, bottoming at 19°F around January 1.
When the heat sits
Normal highs reach 90°F from June 24 through August 14, covering 52 dates. The broader mild season, normal highs of 70°F or more, runs May 2 to October 10.
This counts calendar dates whose 1991–2020 normal high reaches 90°F. It is a smaller number than the 90°F+ day counts in the monthly table above, which measure how often the threshold was actually crossed in a typical year. A date can average 88°F and still exceed 90°F in half of all years.
The freezing stretch
The normal low stays at or below 32°F into March 5, then returns to freezing around November 13, covering 114 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 April 16, when 23% of years recorded at least a hundredth of an inch. The driest is June 23 at 10%. Summed across the calendar, that is about 65 wet dates a year.
The widest day
June 18 carries the biggest normal gap between afternoon and dawn, 29°F between the normal high and the normal low.
Look up any date
Any date's 1991–2020 normal for Palisade.
Where Palisade Stands Nationally
Aridity defines the water calendar: about 11 inches in a normal year lands this among the driest tenth of ranked stations.
Palisade 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
Snow: 4.1"
5.2 days with precipitation
Snow: 2.5"
5.2 days with precipitation
Snow: 1.2"
5.6 days with precipitation
Snow: 0.4"
6.8 days with precipitation
6.0 days with precipitation
3.0 days with precipitation
4.6 days with precipitation
6.6 days with precipitation
6.5 days with precipitation
Snow: 0.3"
5.7 days with precipitation
Snow: 1.0"
4.8 days with precipitation
Snow: 3.4"
4.6 days with precipitation
Palisade spreads its precipitation across the year
Neither half of the year dominates here: June through August take 20% of the annual total and December through February 18%, with neither reaching the 35% that would mark a distinct wet season. Palisade has no dry season to plan around, though it does carry a wide 48.4°F gap between its warmest and coldest month.
The gap between the wettest and driest month still matters: September averages 1.4" and June 0.6". The three wettest months together take 36% 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.
Palisade is dry, and what does fall arrives gently
Only about 65 days a year record measurable precipitation here, 18% of the calendar, and they carry 10.5" between them. At roughly 0.16 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 April at about 7 wet days; the driest is June at about 3.
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.
Winter brings real snow to Palisade
Palisade averages 12.9 inches of snowfall a year, with January the snowiest month on the normals, spread across roughly 9 days that record measurable snow. That is depth accumulating on the ground, which is why it can exceed the annual precipitation figure: precipitation counts the liquid the snow melts down to, and fresh snow is mostly air.
- Annual snowfall: 12.9 inches of depth.
- Days recording measurable snow: about 9 a year.
- At a rough ten-to-one melt ratio, snow accounts for on the order of 12% of the year's precipitation.
NOAA 1991-2020 normals. The ten-to-one ratio is a convention, not a measurement: real ratios vary with temperature, so treat the share as an order of magnitude rather than an exact split.
Frost Dates & Growing Season
First Fall Freeze
October 26
50% probability date
Last Spring Freeze
April 17
50% probability date
Growing Season
192 days
Heating & Cooling Degree Days
Annual totals indicate energy demand for heating and cooling
Heating Degree Days
5,087
Higher = more heating needed
Cooling Degree Days
1,235
Higher = more cooling needed
Warmest Month
July
Coldest Month
January
Nationwide similar cities
Other rankable U.S. places outside CO closest to Palisade 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 (54°F here).
- Arlington, OR 54°F · 0.0°F off
- Bent Creek, NC 54°F · 0.0°F off
- Bloomfield, NM 54°F · 0.0°F off
- Charleston, WV 54°F · 0.0°F off
Closest by annual precipitation
Nearest out-of-state peers by annual precipitation (10.5" here), excluding temperature-peer places.
- Shoshone, ID 10.5" · 0.0" off
- Fort Hall, ID 10.5" · 0.0" off
- Jerome, ID 10.4" · 0.0" off
- Merced, CA 10.4" · 0.0" off
Snow and freeze rhythm
When cold and snow define Palisade
heating led · dry · mid swing
Palisade's energy balance leans toward cold weather: 5,087 annual heating degree days against 1,235 for cooling. Its 48.4°F seasonal range still makes the monthly rows more useful than the annual average alone.
Palisade's frost-free season lasts about 192 days, a middle-length window whose endpoints matter more than the annual average. It describes freeze probability, not year-specific planting conditions.
-
1. Palisade coldest normal
January
The monthly mean of 30°F (-1°C) sits near freezing, so cold nights and above-freezing afternoons share the same month.
-
2. Palisade typical freeze period
January through December
The station reports average freezing days from January through December.
-
3. Palisade snow peak
January
Palisade averages 12.9 inches of snow a year, with January the snowiest month on the normals.
Questions about Palisade's climate
How much snow does Palisade get? ▼
How many days above 90°F does Palisade get? ▼
How much energy does heating and cooling require in Palisade? ▼
Data Sources
Data source: NOAA U.S. Climate Normals v1.0.1 (1991-2020). All figures on this page are from Palisade's primary station: PALISADE (USC00056266). 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 0856970). Match rule for Palisade: 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 Palisade 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.