Trinidad Lake, 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 Trinidad Lake's primary NOAA station, TRINIDAD LAKE.
The climate verdict for Trinidad Lake
Dryness leads the climate profile for Trinidad Lake, Colorado, with 17.2 inches of precipitation a year. NOAA records an annual average of 50°F. At 49/100 (moderate) the climate comfort score falls in the bottom third of the station-mapped U.S. score corpus, exceeding only 18% of scores.
- 50°F
- yearly average temperature, NOAA normal
- 49/100
- comfort score, above 18% of station-mapped location scores
- 17.2"
- annual precipitation · 48" snow
- 146 days
- growing season, frost-free days
Trinidad Lake: NOAA 1991-2020 normals describe a typical year, not a forecast. Method: /methodology.
Normals record plate
Sheet USC00058436 · Trinidad Lake, CO 50°F mean · 17.2" precip
TEMP-COOL · RANK-COOL · PHOTO-FINISH · PRCP-DRY · SWING-MID · COMF-LOW · LOAD-HEAT · STN-1 · BOOK-FULL
- TEMP-COOL 50°F
- RANK-COOL #2,676
- PHOTO-FINISH ≈ Raton
- PRCP-DRY 17.2"
- SWING-MID 39°F
- COMF-LOW 49/100
- LOAD-HEAT 5,958 HDD
- STN-1 USC00058436
- BOOK-FULL 6/6 fields
Nearest mean-temperature peer: Raton Muni Crews, NM ( -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.
- Trinidad Lake (this station) 50°F
- Cold Raton, NM 50°F
- Hot Buckeye, WV 50°F
- Near Pickens, WV 50°F
- Near Thoreau, NM 50°F
Climate Living Index · Trinidad Lake
Trinidad Lake: 29/100 · grade F
Trinidad Lake publishes 5 of 6 Living Index dimensions (NOAA annual/seasonal normals · NOAA daily multivariate normals); 1 missing weight rescale to 100.
PlainClimate-derived for Trinidad Lake, not an official NOAA rating. Rankings still use Comfort Score 49/100 (separate formula). Breakpoints and limits.
| Dimension | Station value | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Annual temperature balance | 49.8°F · 17.7° from 67.5°F | 39/100 · F |
| Precipitation balance | 17.2 in · 17.8 from 35 in | 37/100 · F |
| Frost-free season | 146 days/year | 22/100 · F |
| Snowfall burden | 48.1 inches/year | 22/100 · F |
| Normal heat + freeze calendar | 187 calendar days | 21/100 · F |
Trinidad Lake · 2026-08-04 · NOAA NCEI Climate Normals · method · Comfort Score method.
Trinidad Lake is a continental Köppen climate: Dfb
Coldest-month mean 31.4°F and warmest-month mean 70.6°F place this station in continental, no dry season, warm summer climates (Dfb). Class Dfb is the Peel et al. (2007) label for this station's monthly mean temperature and precipitation normals: continental, specifically continental, no dry season, warm summer.
- Köppen code
- Dfb
- Group
- Continental
- Warmest month
- 70.6°F
- Coldest month
- 31.4°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 Trinidad Lake sits across the climate record
Three NOAA fields for Trinidad Lake's primary station, temperature, precipitation, and seasonal swing, are ranked against every station-mapped normal that carries the same field.
- Annual temperature
- 39th percentile warmth
- Mid-pack annual mean versus 6,861 station normals.
- Annual precipitation
- Drier than 78%
- Trinidad Lake's annual total ranks in the drier third of 6,352 measured normals.
- Seasonal temperature swing
- 32nd percentile swing
- Typical seasonal amplitude versus 6,861 complete station-years.
How Trinidad Lake compares across U.S. station-mapped locations
Trinidad Lake's comfort score vs. all station-mapped locations
PlainClimate composite comfort index (1–100), NOAA 1991–2020 normals
49 18th percentile score exceeds 18% 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%). This entry sits in this band.
- 50–60: 1,329 station-mapped locations (21%). Above this entry.
- 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
Trinidad Lake's measured station temperature trend
MethodologyAcross 34 complete annual observations from 1990 to 2025, TRINIDAD LAKE warmed at a fitted rate of 0.34°C per decade. The line shows the fitted change relative to its first year, not raw year-to-year temperatures or a forecast.
- Trinidad Lake primary station fitted change +0.34 °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 | 48°F (9°C) | 15°F (-9°C) | 31°F (0°C) | 0.6" | 9.4" | 30.5 | 0.0 |
| February | 50°F (10°C) | 18°F (-8°C) | 34°F (1°C) | 0.6" | 8.7" | 27.2 | 0.0 |
| March | 57°F (14°C) | 24°F (-4°C) | 41°F (5°C) | 1.2" | 6.9" | 27.2 | 0.0 |
| April | 63°F (17°C) | 31°F (-1°C) | 47°F (8°C) | 1.7" | 5.6" | 17.4 | 0.0 |
| May | 72°F (22°C) | 40°F (5°C) | 56°F (13°C) | 1.7" | 0.3" | 3.8 | 0.5 |
| June | 83°F (28°C) | 50°F (10°C) | 67°F (19°C) | 1.6" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 6.8 |
| July | 87°F (31°C) | 54°F (12°C) | 71°F (21°C) | 3.0" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 12.4 |
| August | 84°F (29°C) | 53°F (11°C) | 69°F (20°C) | 2.7" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 6.4 |
| September | 79°F (26°C) | 45°F (7°C) | 62°F (17°C) | 1.4" | 0.0" | 1.2 | 1.6 |
| October | 67°F (20°C) | 33°F (1°C) | 50°F (10°C) | 1.3" | 4.1" | 13.9 | 0.0 |
| November | 56°F (13°C) | 24°F (-5°C) | 40°F (4°C) | 0.8" | 4.4" | 26.9 | 0.0 |
| December | 48°F (9°C) | 16°F (-9°C) | 32°F (0°C) | 0.7" | 8.7" | 30.7 | 0.0 |
The year, day by day
Summer here tops out rather than builds: the warmest normal high is 87°F around July 11, short of 90°F on every date, while 187 dates carry a normal low at or below freezing, the coldest 14°F near December 25.
The freezing stretch
The normal low stays at or below 32°F into April 22, then returns to freezing around October 19, covering 187 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 July 30, when 41% of years recorded at least a hundredth of an inch. The driest is January 1 at 13%. Summed across the calendar, that is about 78 wet dates a year.
The widest day
October 6 carries the biggest normal gap between afternoon and dawn, 35°F between the normal high and the normal low.
Look up any date
Any date's 1991–2020 normal for Trinidad Lake.
Where Trinidad Lake Stands Nationally
Freezing is routine here by normals standards — the normal low reaches 32°F or colder on about 187 nights a year, more than most ranked stations.
Daily temperature swings run wider than most of the country, peaking near 35°F between the normal high and low.
Trinidad Lake earns 2 nationally notable standings (outer quintiles) against 6,860 NOAA 1991–2020 normals stations; only those extremes render.
Monthly Precipitation
Average monthly rainfall and snowfall
Snow: 9.4"
4.0 days with precipitation
Snow: 8.7"
4.3 days with precipitation
Snow: 6.9"
5.3 days with precipitation
Snow: 5.6"
6.7 days with precipitation
Snow: 0.3"
7.7 days with precipitation
7.6 days with precipitation
11.4 days with precipitation
11.3 days with precipitation
6.6 days with precipitation
Snow: 4.1"
5.2 days with precipitation
Snow: 4.4"
4.6 days with precipitation
Snow: 8.7"
3.8 days with precipitation
Trinidad Lake runs a summer-peaked wet season
42% of Trinidad Lake's yearly precipitation falls in June, July and August alone, against the 25% an evenly spread year would give those three months. The wettest month is July at 3.0", on a 39.2°F seasonal spread. Warm-season convection and, across the Southwest, the North American monsoon produce this shape: rain arrives in short heavy bursts during the hottest part of the year rather than as long cool-season soaking.
- Wettest three months: July, August, April, taking 43% of the annual total between them.
- Driest month: January at 0.6".
- Winter share: 11% falls in December, January and February.
Shares are computed from this station's own 1991-2020 monthly precipitation normals. A summer-peaked label means the June-August share reaches 35%; it describes timing across an average year, not any single season, and says nothing about how heavy an individual storm can be.
How Trinidad Lake's precipitation splits across the calendar
About 78 days a year record measurable precipitation here, carrying 17.2" between them, or roughly 0.22 inches on a typical wet day. That sits in the middle band: neither the many-light-days pattern of the Pacific Northwest and the Great Lakes, nor the few-heavy-events pattern of the Gulf and the desert Southwest.
A wet day is one recording at least 0.01 inches. These are 1991-2020 normals: they describe an average year and say nothing about the heaviest single storm on record.
Winter brings real snow to Trinidad Lake
Trinidad Lake averages 48.1 inches of snowfall a year, with January the snowiest month on the normals, spread across roughly 13 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: 48.1 inches of depth.
- Days recording measurable snow: about 13 a year.
- At a rough ten-to-one melt ratio, snow accounts for on the order of 28% 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 4
50% probability date
Last Spring Freeze
May 11
50% probability date
Growing Season
146 days
Heating & Cooling Degree Days
Annual totals indicate energy demand for heating and cooling
Heating Degree Days
5,958
Higher = more heating needed
Cooling Degree Days
446
Higher = more cooling needed
Warmest Month
July
Coldest Month
January
Nationwide similar cities
Other rankable U.S. places outside CO closest to Trinidad Lake 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 (50°F here).
- Allerton, IA 50°F · 0.0°F off
- Blowing Rock, NC 50°F · 0.0°F off
- Boswell, IN 50°F · 0.0°F off
- Cambridge City, IN 50°F · 0.0°F off
Closest by annual precipitation
Nearest out-of-state peers by annual precipitation (17.2" here), excluding temperature-peer places.
- Miami, AZ 17.2" · 0.0" off
- Seminole, TX 17.2" · 0.0" off
- Cimarron, NM 17.2" · 0.0" off
- Eagle Nest, NM 17.2" · 0.0" off
Snow and freeze rhythm
When cold and snow define Trinidad Lake
heating led · dry · mid swing
Trinidad Lake's energy balance leans toward cold weather: 5,958 annual heating degree days against 446 for cooling. Its 39.2°F seasonal range still makes the monthly rows more useful than the annual average alone.
Only about 146 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.
-
1. Trinidad Lake coldest normal
January
The monthly mean of 31°F (0°C) sits near freezing, so cold nights and above-freezing afternoons share the same month.
-
2. Trinidad Lake typical freeze period
January through December
The station reports average freezing days from January through December.
-
3. Trinidad Lake snow peak
January
Trinidad Lake averages 48.1 inches of snow a year, with January the snowiest month on the normals.
Questions about Trinidad Lake's climate
How much snow does Trinidad Lake get? ▼
How cold does Trinidad Lake get in winter? ▼
How much energy does heating and cooling require in Trinidad Lake? ▼
Data Sources
Data source: NOAA U.S. Climate Normals v1.0.1 (1991-2020). All figures on this page are from Trinidad Lake's primary station: TRINIDAD LAKE (USC00058436). For informational purposes only.
Place identity: U.S. Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer places. The conservative exact name-and-state crosswalk finds no Census place match, so PlainClimate treats this as a station-mapped location and does not claim it is a municipality. No exact Gazetteer row for Trinidad Lake; facility counts that depend on place identity are therefore an upper bound, not a municipal census.
On this page every temperature, precipitation, and derived score for Trinidad Lake 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.