PlainClimate

NOAA climate atlas · updated August 2026

Colorado Climate Data

Climate normals for 214 station-mapped locations, each from its primary station in Colorado's 770-station NOAA network.

average temperature
46°F (8°C)46.3°F · fleet p50 52.2°F · n=50
Cooler national band
annual precipitation
15.9"15.9 inches · fleet p50 43.7 inches · n=50
Drier national band
annual snowfall
61.7"61.7 inches · fleet p50 24.7 inches · n=50
High-snow national band
locations / stations
214 / 770State coverage: 214 locations / 770 stations. Benchmark context: this profile's measured location and NOAA-station counts.
State coverage

Colorado's climate in one line

Colorado averages 46°F a year - cooler than 76% of U.S. states, spanning Climax at 32°F to Gateway at 56°F.

46°F
statewide average · 24th percentile of states
16"
average annual precipitation
68/100
most comfortable: Gateway
214
station-mapped locations · 770 NOAA stations

Statewide figures are simple averages across 214 station-mapped locations (each from its primary NOAA station), local conditions vary widely by elevation and coast distance.

How Colorado ranks among all 50 states

Colorado's average temperature vs. all U.S. states

Statewide annual mean temperature, NOAA 1991–2020 normals

46°F 24th percentile cooler than 76% of 50 U.S. states

30°F–35°F: 1 US states (2%). Below this entry. 35°F–40°F: 0 US states (0%). Below this entry. 40°F–45°F: 8 US states (16%). Below this entry. 45°F–50°F: 10 US states (20%). This entry sits in this band. 50°F–55°F: 12 US states (24%). Above this entry. 55°F–60°F: 8 US states (16%). Above this entry. 60°F–65°F: 7 US states (14%). Above this entry. 65°F–70°F: 2 US states (4%). Above this entry. 70°F–75°F: 2 US states (4%). Above this entry. This state 30°F 75°F every U.S. state, bucketed by value
  1. 30°F–35°F: 1 US states (2%). Below this entry.
  2. 35°F–40°F: 0 US states (0%). Below this entry.
  3. 40°F–45°F: 8 US states (16%). Below this entry.
  4. 45°F–50°F: 10 US states (20%). This entry sits in this band.
  5. 50°F–55°F: 12 US states (24%). Above this entry.
  6. 55°F–60°F: 8 US states (16%). Above this entry.
  7. 60°F–65°F: 7 US states (14%). Above this entry.
  8. 65°F–70°F: 2 US states (4%). Above this entry.
  9. 70°F–75°F: 2 US states (4%). Above this entry.

Source NOAA U.S. Climate Normals (statewide aggregate) · 1991–2020

Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US states. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Colorado in the national rankings

Temperature × precipitation · 50-state landscape

Colorado in the national climate landscape

Colorado averages 46.3°F and 15.9 inches of annual precipitation across 214 station-mapped locations. Against the same complete 50-state cohort, that places it in the cooler and drier half of the chart. Dashed lines mark the national medians of 52.3°F and 43.7 inches.

CO · Colorado46.3°F · 15.9 in · cooler and drier than the medians
Cooler + wetterWarmer + wetterCooler + drierWarmer + drier31.5°F42.3°F53.0°F63.8°F74.6°F6.3"20.5"34.6"48.7"62.9"Annual mean temperatureAnnual precipitationAK · 172 locations: 33.5°F, 47.6"AL · 100 locations: 63.3°F, 57.9"AR · 110 locations: 60.7°F, 52.2"AZ · 169 locations: 62.3°F, 12.4"CA · 363 locations: 59.8°F, 21.6"CO · 214 locations: 46.3°F, 15.9"CO · 214 locationsCT · 23 locations: 50.1°F, 48.6"DE · 7 locations: 56.2°F, 46.8"FL · 165 locations: 72.6°F, 55.2"GA · 122 locations: 63.4°F, 52"HI · 49 locations: 72.4°F, 48.5"IA · 143 locations: 48°F, 35.9"ID · 139 locations: 46.1°F, 18"IL · 163 locations: 52.2°F, 40.7"IN · 116 locations: 52.4°F, 43.7"KS · 168 locations: 54.8°F, 31.2"KY · 95 locations: 56.2°F, 50.6"LA · 91 locations: 67.3°F, 60.3"MA · 68 locations: 49.2°F, 48.2"MD · 42 locations: 55.6°F, 45.5"ME · 79 locations: 43.1°F, 46.4"MI · 201 locations: 45.5°F, 34.2"MN · 172 locations: 42.2°F, 30"MO · 164 locations: 55.1°F, 43.9"MS · 91 locations: 64.1°F, 59.7"MT · 215 locations: 43.4°F, 15.9"NC · 178 locations: 59.1°F, 52.2"ND · 119 locations: 41°F, 19.2"NE · 171 locations: 49.6°F, 25"NH · 52 locations: 44.5°F, 46.6"NJ · 45 locations: 53.6°F, 47.9"NM · 167 locations: 54.3°F, 13.8"NV · 115 locations: 52.4°F, 8.9"NY · 173 locations: 47.5°F, 43.7"OH · 128 locations: 51.6°F, 41.1"OK · 159 locations: 60.3°F, 35.7"OR · 180 locations: 50.5°F, 37.6"PA · 157 locations: 50.2°F, 45.2"RI · 9 locations: 51.2°F, 48.7"SC · 100 locations: 62.8°F, 49.8"SD · 149 locations: 45.6°F, 21.8"TN · 146 locations: 58°F, 56"TX · 449 locations: 66.2°F, 31.1"UT · 170 locations: 49.4°F, 13.9"VA · 119 locations: 55.8°F, 46"VT · 41 locations: 43.5°F, 43.7"WA · 149 locations: 49.9°F, 40.9"WI · 200 locations: 44.5°F, 34.6"WV · 99 locations: 52.3°F, 47.6"WY · 144 locations: 43.3°F, 14"
Read all 50 state values

Each point is PlainClimate's simple average across the station-mapped location normals available for that state. Cohort sizes vary and are shown below; the values are not population weighted. Dashed lines mark the median of this 50-state comparison and are guides, not comfort or safety thresholds.

StateLocationsAnnual meanAnnual precipitation
Alaska17233.5°F47.6 in
Alabama10063.3°F57.9 in
Arkansas11060.7°F52.2 in
Arizona16962.3°F12.4 in
California36359.8°F21.6 in
Colorado21446.3°F15.9 in
Connecticut2350.1°F48.6 in
Delaware756.2°F46.8 in
Florida16572.6°F55.2 in
Georgia12263.4°F52.0 in
Hawaii4972.4°F48.5 in
Iowa14348.0°F35.9 in
Idaho13946.1°F18.0 in
Illinois16352.2°F40.7 in
Indiana11652.4°F43.7 in
Kansas16854.8°F31.2 in
Kentucky9556.2°F50.6 in
Louisiana9167.3°F60.3 in
Massachusetts6849.2°F48.2 in
Maryland4255.6°F45.5 in
Maine7943.1°F46.4 in
Michigan20145.5°F34.2 in
Minnesota17242.2°F30.0 in
Missouri16455.1°F43.9 in
Mississippi9164.1°F59.7 in
Montana21543.4°F15.9 in
North Carolina17859.1°F52.2 in
North Dakota11941.0°F19.2 in
Nebraska17149.6°F25.0 in
New Hampshire5244.5°F46.6 in
New Jersey4553.6°F47.9 in
New Mexico16754.3°F13.8 in
Nevada11552.4°F8.9 in
New York17347.5°F43.7 in
Ohio12851.6°F41.1 in
Oklahoma15960.3°F35.7 in
Oregon18050.5°F37.6 in
Pennsylvania15750.2°F45.2 in
Rhode Island951.2°F48.7 in
South Carolina10062.8°F49.8 in
South Dakota14945.6°F21.8 in
Tennessee14658.0°F56.0 in
Texas44966.2°F31.1 in
Utah17049.4°F13.9 in
Virginia11955.8°F46.0 in
Vermont4143.5°F43.7 in
Washington14949.9°F40.9 in
Wisconsin20044.5°F34.6 in
West Virginia9952.3°F47.6 in
Wyoming14443.3°F14.0 in

Derived by PlainClimate from NOAA 1991-2020 U.S. Climate Normals · simple averages across each state's varying station-mapped-location cohort · data updated August 2026.

Colorado Climate in Context

U.S. land-mean temperature anomaly (NOAA NCEI) tracked against global anomaly (NASA GISTEMP). Paris Agreement 1.5°C and 2.0°C thresholds shown as reference lines. Colorado sits within this national warming envelope; individual station-mapped locations below show local readings against this trend.

Colorado within U.S. vs Global Warming, 1900-2024 Anomaly chart from 1900 to 2024. Local series shows warming of 0.11 °C per decade versus a global rate of 0.11 °C per decade (ratio 1.00). Paris Agreement thresholds at 1.5 and 2.0 °C are dashed. -1.0°C -0.5°C +0.0°C +0.5°C +1.0°C +1.5°C +2.0°C +2.5°C Paris 1.5°C Paris 2.0°C 1900192019401960198020002020
  • United States (incl. Colorado) +0.11 °C/decade
  • Global (NASA GISTEMP) +0.11 °C/decade
  • Paris Agreement thresholds 1.5°C / 2.0°C
Sources: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals + NASA GISTEMP land-ocean.

Station-mapped locations in Colorado

214 locations with climate data

Scroll the table to browse every location, or use the complete CSV and JSON exports below.

Location Avg Temp Precip
Akron 50°F 16.2"
Akron Washington County 50°F 15.4"
Alamosa 43°F 7.3"
Alamosa San Luis 42°F 7.4"
Allenspark 40°F N/A
Altenbern 47°F 17.1"
Antero Rsvr 35°F 10.6"
Arapahoe 52°F 17.5"
Aspen 41°F 24.4"
Aspen Pitkin County 43°F 14.9"
Bailey 41°F 17.2"
Black Canyon of The Gunnison 45°F 19.9"
Black Forest 49°F 19.6"
Blanca 44°F 9.8"
Blue Mesa Lake 40°F 8.8"
Bonham Rsvr 33°F 31.4"
Bonny Dam 52°F 18.0"
Boulder 35°F 33.9"
Briggsdale 48°F 13.4"
Brighton 51°F 14.1"
Buckhorn Mtn 46°F 21.2"
Buena Vista 45°F 9.9"
Burlington 52°F 19.3"
Burlington Carson 51°F 17.1"
Byers 49°F 16.3"
Cabin Creek 38°F 21.6"
Campo 54°F 16.6"
Canon City 52°F 13.7"
Castle Rock 50°F 17.6"
Cedaredge 49°F 12.5"
Center 42°F 7.2"
Cheesman 47°F 15.8"
Cheraw 53°F 13.0"
Cherry Creek Dam 51°F N/A
Cheyenne Wells 53°F 16.4"
Cimarron 43°F 14.3"
Climax 32°F 25.2"
Coal Creek Canyon 40°F 25.8"
Cochetopa Creek 38°F 10.6"
Collbran 48°F 15.3"
Colorado National Monument 53°F 11.2"
Colorado Springs 50°F 15.9"
Cortez 48°F 18.6"
Cortez Montezuma County 49°F 11.7"
Craig 43°F 17.4"
Craig Moffat County 43°F 14.1"
Creede 41°F 15.7"
Creede Wtp 37°F 15.1"
Crested Butte 34°F 23.8"
Crestone 44°F 12.4"
Cripple Creek 42°F 18.0"
Crook 51°F 16.9"
Cumbre Vista - Colorado Spgs 47°F N/A
Del Norte 44°F 9.7"
Delta 51°F N/A
Denver 51°F 14.5"
Denver Centennial 50°F 15.0"
Denver Water Dept 53°F 15.8"
Denver-stapleton 51°F 15.4"
Dillon 36°F 14.9"
Dinosaur 49°F 11.2"
Dinosaur National Monument 47°F 10.7"
Divide 39°F 20.0"
Dove Creek 49°F N/A
Durango 47°F 19.6"
Durango La Plata County 46°F 13.5"
Eads 52°F 15.7"
Eastonville 44°F 21.6"
Elizabeth 48°F 19.3"
Ellicott 51°F 15.0"
Estes Park 43°F 17.4"
Evergreen 45°F 18.6"
Fairplay S Park RD 37°F 15.1"
Flagler 51°F 16.5"
Fleming 51°F 17.2"
Florissant Fossil Bed 40°F 15.0"
Fort Collins 51°F 15.9"
Fort Lewis 44°F N/A
Fort Morgan 50°F 14.3"
Fraser 36°F 19.6"
Fruita 52°F 9.9"
Gateway 56°F 11.8"
Genoa 50°F 16.2"
Georgetown 42°F 18.3"
Glade Park 47°F 14.7"
Glenwood Spgs 48°F 15.5"
Gould 4se Sfsp 35°F 24.3"
Grand Junction 54°F 8.9"
Grand Junction Walker Fld 53°F 9.1"
Grand Lake 37°F 18.6"
Grant 39°F 15.4"
Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve 45°F 12.2"
Greeley Unc 52°F 14.7"
Green Mt Dam 39°F 16.5"
Gross Rsvr 44°F 20.3"
Guffey 44°F 19.3"
Gunnison 38°F 10.6"
Hayden 44°F 18.4"
Hermit 38°F 12.9"
Hohnholz Rch 39°F 14.3"
Holly 53°F 17.3"
Holyoke 49°F 17.9"
Hourglass Rsvr 37°F 20.6"
Hugo 49°F 15.3"
Idalia 51°F 19.1"
Ignacio 47°F 13.5"
Joes 51°F 17.5"
John Martin Dam 55°F 13.2"
Julesburg 50°F 18.6"
Karval 50°F 14.1"
Kassler 50°F 18.2"
Kim 54°F 16.1"
Kit Carson 51°F 15.4"
Kremmling 39°F 12.0"
La Junta 52°F 13.4"
La Junta Muni 55°F 11.3"
Lake City 40°F 14.3"
Lake George 39°F 11.3"
Lakewood 50°F 17.5"
Lamar 53°F 16.2"
Lamar Muni 54°F 13.3"
Las Animas 55°F 13.6"
Leadville Lake County 35°F 13.5"
Lemon Dam 43°F 28.3"
Leroy 49°F 17.3"
Limon Wsmo 47°F 15.0"
Lindon 50°F 15.8"
Longmont 50°F 15.2"
Loveland 49°F 15.6"
Manassa 44°F 7.8"
Mancos 46°F 15.7"
Marston Fltr Plt 51°F 16.6"
Massadona 47°F 14.4"
Matheson 48°F N/A
Maybell 42°F 12.6"
Meeker 45°F 15.3"
Meredith 39°F N/A
Mesa Verde National Park 50°F 17.1"
Monte Vista 40°F 9.2"
Montrose 43°F 21.2"
Montrose Rgnl 50°F 8.3"
Monument 47°F 22.5"
New Raymer 49°F 16.2"
Northdale 46°F 11.3"
Northglenn 52°F 14.5"
Norwood 47°F 15.8"
Nunn 47°F 13.4"
Ordway 52°F 11.2"
Ouray 44°F 23.6"
Palisade 54°F 10.5"
Paonia 51°F 14.3"
Paradox 51°F 13.1"
Parker 50°F N/A
Placerville 45°F 21.5"
Pueblo Mem 53°F 12.0"
Pueblo Rsvr 53°F 12.6"
Ralston Rsvr 52°F 18.7"
Rangely 47°F 10.9"
Ridgway 44°F 16.1"
Rifle 46°F 12.8"
Rifle Garfield County 49°F 10.7"
Rio Grande Rsvr 37°F 19.6"
Rocky Ford 54°F 12.6"
Roxborough State Park 50°F 20.9"
Rush 49°F 14.6"
Rustic 42°F 13.2"
Ruxton Park 42°F 23.9"
Rye 50°F 25.4"
Saguache 44°F 8.4"
Salida 46°F 8.8"
San Luis 44°F 9.0"
Santa Maria Rsvr 36°F 17.6"
Sargents 37°F 14.8"
Sedgwick 50°F 17.6"
Seibert 50°F 16.6"
Shaw 49°F 16.4"
Sheep Mtn 46°F 13.6"
Sheridan Lake 52°F 16.3"
Shoshone 50°F 20.0"
Silverton 35°F 23.9"
Spicer 38°F 15.2"
Springfield Comanche 53°F 15.2"
Steamboat Springs 41°F 24.7"
Sterling 51°F 15.2"
Stratton 51°F 18.8"
Strontia Springs Dam 47°F 20.4"
Sugarloaf Rsvr 35°F 16.6"
Tacony 53°F 12.1"
Taylor Park 35°F 18.8"
Telluride 38°F 20.4"
Trinidad 54°F 14.9"
Trinidad Lake 50°F 17.2"
Trinidad Perry Stokes 53°F 12.7"
Twin Lakes Rsvr 38°F 10.3"
Uravan 54°F 11.9"
Vail 38°F 22.4"
Vallecito Dam 44°F 25.8"
Vallecito Reservoir 45°F N/A
Virginia Dale 44°F 17.4"
Walden 35°F 12.1"
Walsenburg 52°F 17.3"
Walsh 54°F 19.5"
Waterdale 48°F 16.8"
Waverly 40°F 7.9"
Westcliffe 43°F 13.6"
Wfo Pueblo 53°F 13.8"
Wheat Ridge 50°F 17.1"
Wild Horse 51°F 15.9"
Williams Fork Dam 38°F 14.3"
Woodrow 48°F 15.9"
Wray 51°F 18.4"
Yampa 40°F 16.9"
Yellow Jacket 50°F 15.0"
Yuma 52°F 18.0"

Source: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information U.S. Climate Normals v1.0.1 · 1991-2020 Statewide aggregates for Colorado computed as the simple average across its 214 station-mapped locations, each represented by its primary NOAA station (770 stations in the state network).

Climate Insight: Colorado

Colorado's climate profile is aggregated from 214 station-mapped locations and 770 NOAA weather stations reporting under the 1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals program. The statewide average annual temperature sits at 46°F, which is the simple average across all tracked station-mapped locations rather than any single station's reading. Because Colorado spans multiple latitudes, elevations, and proximities to large water bodies, local conditions can differ from this headline number by wide margins; coastal, valley, and mountain stations often diverge by ten degrees or more even within a single month.

Precipitation and snowfall averages round out the climatological picture. Across Colorado, annual precipitation averages 15.9 inches, with typical seasonal snowfall near 61.7 inches statewide. These numbers combine rain, sleet, and snow water-equivalent and describe the thirty-year normal rather than any particular recent year. Readers evaluating a specific destination should drill into one of the 214 individual location profiles below; each station record varies with local geography, and the statewide figures here are averages that mask meaningful intrastate differences.

For planning purposes, the location table above is sorted to help you compare averages side-by-side: annual mean temperature, average daily high and low, precipitation totals, snowfall, and PlainClimate's climate comfort score. That 1–100 score combines temperature mildness, precipitation moderation, snowfall burden, and frost-free growing-season length from each location's NOAA normal. It is a climate-only comparison, not a NOAA or overall livability rating. Use it as a starting point, then open each location profile for the exact score inputs, monthly breakdowns, degree-day totals, frost dates, and separately reported humidity metrics.

Nationwide similar states

Other states closest to Colorado on two NOAA statewide-average axes (annual temperature and annual precipitation). Chip rows use distinct link sets.

Closest by average temperature

Nearest 50-state peers by avg_temp (46°F here).

Closest by annual precipitation

Nearest peers by avg_precip (15.9" here), excluding temperature-peer codes.

National state rankings →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average temperature in Colorado?
Colorado averages 46°F a year across NOAA's 1991-2020 Climate Normals, cooler than 76% of U.S. states. That is 6.8°F below the 53.1°F average across all 50 states.
Does the climate vary a lot within Colorado?
Yes. Annual averages inside Colorado run from Climax at 32°F to Gateway at 56°F -- a 24°F spread between the state's coldest and warmest measured station-mapped locations. A single statewide average can mask this kind of local variation.
Where does Colorado rank nationally for temperature?
Colorado ranks #38 warmest and #13 coldest out of 50 U.S. states and territories with NOAA normals data, based on statewide average annual temperature.
What is the most comfortable station-mapped location in Colorado?
Gateway scores the highest established comfort rating in Colorado at 68/100, a PlainClimate composite of annual temperature mildness, precipitation moderation, snowfall burden, and frost-free growing-season length.

Data source: NOAA U.S. Climate Normals v1.0.1 (1991-2020). For informational purposes only.

Every figure on PlainClimate is rendered directly from NOAA 1991-2020 U.S. Climate Normals data, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.