Photo: Greg Goebel · CC BY-SA 2.0Less rain and snow falls on Air Force Academy than on 89% of U.S. towns: 21 inches a year
The warmest part of a July day comes in at 84° on average. By January nights alone, it runs colder than 87% of U.S. towns. Decade by decade the climate has edged up, 1.1° above 1901–2000. Long walks are most pleasant from June to September, when afternoons reach 75–84°.
A year in Air Force Academy at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Air Force Academy’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Air Force Academy’s place in Colorado beside it.
What a year in Air Force Academy feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 136 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 17 and the first by October 1. Day counts come from NOAA’s station at Black Forest 6wnw, CO, 4 miles from the town’s center, 140 ft higher; frost dates and degree days from Monument 3s, CO, 4 miles away.
The 2023 USDA map puts Air Force Academy’s center in zone 5b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −11°. 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 55 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Colorado Springs 5.7 Wnw, CO, falls mostly in February. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 21 inches a year; July is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 99 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Air Force Academy
96% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from October through May.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Monument 3s, CO.
Living with Air Force Academy’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
136 frost-free days in zone 5b. The last frost comes by May 17 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 1.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July, August and September. 20 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Air Force Academy from natural hazards, wildfire is the largest share (59%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 4%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Air Force Academy and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Air Force Academy yet.
Climates most like Air Force Academy’s, farther away
TownRatings’ own comparison of NOAA 1991–2020 normals, not a NOAA product: places of 5,000+ at least 150 miles away, one per state, closest on January low, July high, precipitation and snow.
| Town | Jan. low | July high | Precip. | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air Force Academy, CO | 14° | 84° | 21" | 55" |
| Sturgis, SD | 14° | 85° | 22" | 48" |
| Whitefish, MT | 17° | 82° | 18" | 63" |
| Ranchettes, WY | 16° | 85° | 16" | 65" |
| Doney Park, AZ | 17° | 86° | 16" | 52" |
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 Air Force Academy averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+3.1°).
A smaller shift than in 68% 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 Air Force Academy compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Air Force Academy’s place among Colorado’s.
Air Force Academy weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Air Force Academy’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Colorado Springs 5.7 Wnw, CO. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 45° | 14° | 0.8" | 6.6" | 6 | 23° – 35° |
| February | 46° | 16° | 0.9" | 11.7" | 7 | 25° – 38° |
| March | 53° | 23° | 1.8" | 7.5" | 7 | 33° – 44° |
| April | 59° | 29° | 2.5" | 8.7" | 8 | 38° – 49° |
| May | 68° | 38° | 2.6" | 1.9" | 12 | 46° – 58° |
| June | 79° | 47° | 2.1" | 0.0" | 9 | 58° – 68° |
| July | 84° | 53° | 2.9" | 0.0" | 14 | 65° – 72° |
| August | 81° | 51° | 2.6" | 0.0" | 14 | 62° – 70° |
| September | 75° | 43° | 1.5" | 0.0" | 7 | 53° – 65° |
| October | 63° | 32° | 1.3" | 4.6" | 6 | 41° – 53° |
| November | 52° | 22° | 1.0" | 5.9" | 4 | 29° – 44° |
| December | 44° | 14° | 0.8" | 8.3" | 6 | 23° – 33° |
| Year | 62° | 32° | 20.8" | 55.2" | 99 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 29° to 44°. July is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Air Force Academy’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 Air Force Academy’s center.
- Snow: Colorado Springs 5.7 Wnw, CO.
- Frost dates, heating and cooling: Monument 3s, CO, 4 miles away.
- Freezing nights, 90° and 100° days: Black Forest 6wnw, CO, 4 miles from the town’s center, 140 ft higher; 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 Air Force Academy’s climate
What is the weather like in Air Force Academy?
A typical July afternoon reaches 84°, a January night drops to 14°, and about 55 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 87% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 61% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Air Force Academy in winter?
December nights average 14°. About 162 nights a year reach 32° or below and 6 reach 0° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 23°.
How much snow does Air Force Academy get?
About 55 inches in a normal winter at Colorado Springs 5.7 Wnw, CO, most of it in February.
How hot does it get in Air Force Academy?
July, with a typical high of 84° and a low of 53°. About 24 days a year reach 90° (Monument 3s, CO).
When is the first and last frost in Air Force Academy?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 17 and the first fall frost by October 1, about 136 frost-free days, at Monument 3s, CO.
What growing zone is Air Force Academy in?
Zone 5b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −11°.
What is the best time of year to visit Air Force Academy?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), June, July, August and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Air Force Academy getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 68% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Air Force Academy.
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.