Santa Maria Reservoir, Colorado climate: Climate normals at a NOAA weather station
Santa Maria Reservoir's normal year runs from 2°F December nights to 73°F July afternoons, with 17.6 inches of precipitation a year. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a yearly mean of 2.4°C, December lows of −17°C, July highs of 23°C, 446 mm of precipitation a year.
- NOAA stationSanta Maria Reservoir
- Station IDUSC00057450
- Location37.82°N 107.11°W
- Elevation9,687 ft (2,953 m)
On October 23, the normal high in Santa Maria Reservoir is 53°F and the normal low 20°F, and the chance of measurable rain or snow is 19%.
Normals describe a typical year at the station, not a forecast. The National Weather Service forecast for Santa Maria Reservoir.
- Jan 35° 2°
- Feb 36° 3°
- Mar 42° 12°
- Apr 48° 19°
- May 58° 27°
- Jun 68° 34°
- Jul 73° 40°
- Aug 70° 39°
- Sep 64° 33°
- Oct 55° 23°
- Nov 43° 13°
- Dec 34° 2°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
What is the weather like at Santa Maria Reservoir each month?
July is the warmest month, with normal highs of 73°F; December the coldest, with normal lows of 2°F. The most precipitation falls in August (2.97 in), the least in June (0.83 in).
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Precip. | Wet days | 90°F days | Freezing nights | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 35°F | 2°F | 18.3°F | 1.09 | 6 | <1 | 31 | 9 h 50 min |
| February | 36°F | 3°F | 19.9°F | 1.14 | 7 | <1 | 28 | 10 h 50 min |
| March | 42°F | 12°F | 26.8°F | 1.05 | 6 | <1 | 31 | 11 h 50 min |
| April | 48°F | 19°F | 33.2°F | 1.55 | 7 | <1 | 30 | 13 h 10 min |
| May | 58°F | 27°F | 42.3°F | 1.02 | 8 | <1 | 27 | 14 h 10 min |
| June | 68°F | 34°F | 51.1°F | 0.83 | 6 | <1 | 10 | 14 h 50 min |
| July | 73°F | 40°F | 56.4°F | 2.31 | 16 | <1 | 1 | 14 h 30 min |
| August | 70°F | 39°F | 54.3°F | 2.97 | 15 | <1 | 2 | 13 h 40 min |
| September | 64°F | 33°F | 48.5°F | 2.13 | 11 | <1 | 15 | 12 h 30 min |
| October | 55°F | 23°F | 38.7°F | 1.51 | 7 | <1 | 29 | 11 h 20 min |
| November | 43°F | 13°F | 28.0°F | 0.91 | 5 | <1 | 30 | 10 h 10 min |
| December | 34°F | 2°F | 18.0°F | 1.05 | 8 | <1 | 31 | 9 h 30 min |
| Year (annual) | 52°F | 21°F | 36.3°F | 17.56 | 102 | <1 | 264 |
The same normals in °C and millimetres
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 2°C | −17°C | −7.6°C | 28 mm |
| February | 2°C | −16°C | −6.7°C | 29 mm |
| March | 5°C | −11°C | −2.9°C | 27 mm |
| April | 9°C | −7°C | 0.7°C | 39 mm |
| May | 14°C | −3°C | 5.7°C | 26 mm |
| June | 20°C | 1°C | 10.6°C | 21 mm |
| July | 23°C | 5°C | 13.6°C | 59 mm |
| August | 21°C | 4°C | 12.4°C | 75 mm |
| September | 18°C | 0°C | 9.2°C | 54 mm |
| October | 13°C | −5°C | 3.7°C | 38 mm |
| November | 6°C | −10°C | −2.2°C | 23 mm |
| December | 1°C | −17°C | −7.8°C | 27 mm |
NOAA publishes no 1991-2020 snowfall normal for this station. The nearest record that keeps one, Hermit (8 mi SE) (5 miles away), gets 55 inches of snow in a normal year; elevation and distance can change that.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USC00057450; 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.
Which months are mildest at Santa Maria Reservoir?
Normal highs sit between 65°F and 85°F in June, July and August. Of those, June has the fewest days with rain (6).
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 USC00057450.
How hot and how cold does it get at Santa Maria Reservoir?
In a normal year in Santa Maria Reservoir, a 90°F day is rare, 264 nights fall to 32°F or colder and 102 days bring measurable precipitation.
- Days at 90°F or more
- fewer than 1a normal year
- Days at 100°F or more
- fewer than 1a normal year
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 264a normal year
- Days that stay below freezing
- 47high of 32°F or less
- Days with 0.01 inch of precipitation
- 102a normal year
The highest temperature in this station's record (since 2005) is 84°F, on June 21, 2016; the lowest is −29°F, on January 12, 2013.
The wettest calendar year on that record is 2006, with 21.22 in; the snowiest season is 2018–19, with 141.8 inches.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals, station USC00057450; records: ACIS (NOAA Regional Climate Centers), station USC00057450. Records use complete months only; a month missing more than three days is left out.
How sunny is it at Santa Maria Reservoir?
Over a year 78% of the sunlight that would reach the ground under clear skies gets through the clouds at Santa Maria Reservoir, 5.0 kWh per square metre a day. June is the sunniest month (85%) and December the cloudiest (75%).
| Month | Share of clear-sky sunshine | Sunshine, kWh/m² a day |
|---|---|---|
| January | 79% | 2.9 |
| February | 76% | 3.8 |
| March | 78% | 5.1 |
| April | 75% | 6.1 |
| May | 76% | 6.8 |
| June | 85% | 7.8 |
| July | 76% | 6.7 |
| August | 77% | 6.0 |
| September | 80% | 5.4 |
| October | 81% | 4.2 |
| November | 79% | 3.1 |
| December | 75% | 2.5 |
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 many heating and cooling degree days does Santa Maria Reservoir record?
A normal year at Santa Maria Reservoir brings 10,456 heating degree days, 95% more than the median U.S. place (5,373), and 0 cooling degree days, 100% fewer than the median (908). Eleven months need 300 or more heating degree days, a monthly mean of about 55°F or colder. For gardens and crops, NOAA counts 456 growing degree days a year above 50°F.
| Month | Heating | Cooling |
|---|---|---|
| January | 1,449 | 0 |
| February | 1,263 | 0 |
| March | 1,186 | 0 |
| April | 954 | 0 |
| May | 705 | 0 |
| June | 417 | 0 |
| July | 268 | 0 |
| August | 333 | 0 |
| September | 497 | 0 |
| October | 815 | 0 |
| November | 1,110 | 0 |
| December | 1,458 | 0 |
| Year (annual) | 10,456 | 0 |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USC00057450. 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.
Have recent years at Santa Maria Reservoir been warmer than normal?
2025 averaged 38.0°F, 1.7°F above the 1991-2020 normal of 36.3°F. 4 of the 5 complete years since 2021 ran warmer than the normal.
| Year | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 37.4°F | +1.1°F | 14.12 |
| 2022 | 36.4°F | +0.1°F | 15.69 |
| 2023 | 35.4°F | −0.9°F | 14.16 |
| 2024 | 37.1°F | +0.8°F | 19.56 |
| 2025 | 38.0°F | +1.7°F | 15.81 |
Source: observed years: ACIS, station USC00057450. A year counts only with all twelve months complete.
How does Santa Maria Reservoir's climate compare?
Santa Maria Reservoir is warmer than 6 of the 125 places with their own NOAA record in Colorado, and wetter than 89. Across the 7,247 U.S. stations with normals, its annual mean of 36.3°F is warmer than 2%.
In the Köppen classification computed from these normals, Santa Maria Reservoir is Dfc: continental, no dry season, cool 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 Santa Maria Reservoir's climate
What is the coldest month at Santa Maria Reservoir?
December, with a normal high of 34°F and a normal low of 2°F. The warmest is July (73°F by day, 40°F at night).
Does it snow at Santa Maria Reservoir?
Yes. NOAA publishes no 1991-2020 snowfall normal for the station; the nearest record that keeps one, Hermit (8 mi SE) (5 miles away), records 55 inches of snow in a normal year.
What is the rainiest month at Santa Maria Reservoir?
August, with 2.97 in of precipitation in a normal year; the driest is June with 0.83 in.
What plant hardiness zone is Santa Maria Reservoir in?
The USDA's 2023 map puts Santa Maria Reservoir in zone 5a in ZIP code 81130, the nearest ZIP area. By the same method at the station, the coldest night of a typical year reaches −19°F (15 years, 1991-2020): zone 5a.
Nearby and next
- Colorado climateThe statewide normals and every place in the state
- Hermit (8 mi SE), CO5 miles from this station, 38.0°F a year
- Creede Water Treatment Plant, CO10 miles from this station, 36.7°F a year
- Creede, CO11 miles from this station, 40.9°F a year
- Rio Grande Reservoir, CO11 miles from this station, 36.9°F a year
- Compare two placesMonth by month, side by side
Download these normals (CSV) · JSON · How these figures are made