Steamboat sits near the bottom of U.S. towns for precipitation, with 10 inches a year
On a normal January night the air cools to about 18°. Winter nights are cold: in January they are colder than in 71% of U.S. towns. Compared with 1901–2000, the average now sits 1.3° higher. Seedlings are safe outdoors from about May 15, with the first autumn frost due around October 10.
A year in Steamboat at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Steamboat’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Steamboat’s place in Arizona beside it.
What a year in Steamboat feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 147 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 15 and the first by October 10. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Ganado, AZ, 17 miles from the town’s center, 150 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Steamboat’s center in zone 6b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −2°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
90° days by month
Average days at 90° or more
About 10 inches of rain a year
August is the wettest month and June the driest.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Steamboat
91% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from October through April.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Ganado, AZ.
Living with Steamboat’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
147 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by May 15 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Oct 10.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: September. 7.3 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Steamboat from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (65%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 9%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Steamboat and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Steamboat yet.
Temperatures and precipitation come from NOAA’s 5 km grid; snow and day counts from the stations named on this page.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Steamboat averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.5°).
A smaller shift than in 55% of U.S. towns.
Change by month
The two periods overlap (1991–2000 is in both), which makes the gap a little smaller than it would be between separate periods.
How Steamboat compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Steamboat’s place among Arizona’s.
Steamboat weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Steamboat’s center. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 43° | 18° | 0.9" | 22° – 37° |
| February | 48° | 22° | 0.7" | 30° – 40° |
| March | 56° | 27° | 0.8" | 37° – 46° |
| April | 64° | 32° | 0.4" | 43° – 53° |
| May | 73° | 40° | 0.5" | 51° – 61° |
| June | 84° | 48° | 0.2" | 62° – 70° |
| July | 88° | 57° | 1.3" | 68° – 76° |
| August | 85° | 55° | 1.4" | 67° – 75° |
| September | 79° | 48° | 1.0" | 58° – 66° |
| October | 67° | 36° | 0.9" | 47° – 56° |
| November | 54° | 25° | 0.7" | 33° – 46° |
| December | 43° | 17° | 0.9" | 23° – 36° |
| Year | 65° | 35° | 9.5" |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. January swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 22° to 37°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Steamboat’s numbers come from
Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. How TownRatings reads climate data →
- Temperatures and precipitation: NOAA’s gridded 1991–2020 normals for the 5 km cell at Steamboat’s center.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Ganado, AZ, 17 miles from the town’s center, 150 ft lower; the nearest station that passes our checks for distance, height and agreement with the grid.
- Growing zone: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map, 2023. USDA Agricultural Research Service and PRISM Group, Oregon State University, prism.oregonstate.edu/phzm, accessed 8 Oct 2026.
- Then and now: NOAA’s gridded normals for 1901–2000 at the same cell.
- Storms and extremes: FEMA National Risk Index (expected annual losses to buildings).
Common questions about Steamboat’s climate
What is the weather like in Steamboat?
A typical July afternoon reaches 88°, a January night drops to 18°. Colder January nights than 71% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 67% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Steamboat in winter?
December nights average 17°. About 174 nights a year reach 32° or below and 4 reach 0° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 23°.
How hot does it get in Steamboat?
July, with a typical high of 88° and a low of 57°. About 34 days a year reach 90° (Ganado, AZ).
When is the first and last frost in Steamboat?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 15 and the first fall frost by October 10, about 147 frost-free days, at Ganado, AZ.
What growing zone is Steamboat in?
Zone 6b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −2°.
What is the best time of year to visit Steamboat?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Steamboat getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.3° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 55% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Steamboat.
Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000; USDA/PRISM 2023 hardiness zones; FEMA National Risk Index. Today’s forecast: National Weather Service.