Ute Cemetery · Photo: Daniel Case · CC BY-SA 3.0Aspen gets about 171 inches of snow a winter, more than all but 34 U.S. towns
The warmest part of a July day comes in at 80° on average. Its July afternoons stay fresher than in 93% of U.S. towns. The latest 30-year average runs 1.4° warmer than 1901–2000’s, with March up the most. Keep the boiler serviced for the months from October to May, which average under 50°.
A year in Aspen at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Aspen’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Aspen’s place in Colorado beside it.
What a year in Aspen feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 113 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by June 2 and the first by September 23. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Aspen 1sw, CO, 0.7 miles from the town’s center, 270 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Aspen’s center in zone 5b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −12°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
About 171 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Aspen 1sw, CO, falls mostly in January, February, March and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 20 inches a year; April is the wettest month and June the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 133 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Aspen
Nearly all of the work is heating: a normal year has almost no cooling days. Months averaging under 55° run from September 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 Aspen 1sw, CO.
Living with Aspen’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
113 frost-free days in zone 5b. The last frost comes by Jun 2 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Sep 23.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July and August. 21 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Aspen from natural hazards, avalanches are the largest share (86%). Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Aspen and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Aspen yet.
Climates most like Aspen’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aspen, CO | 10° | 80° | 20" | 171" |
| Park City, UT | 18° | 81° | 23" | 153" |
| Lewistown, MT | 12° | 82° | 18" | 112" |
| South Lake Tahoe, CA | 22° | 81° | 19" | 179" |
| Ishpeming, MI | 5° | 77° | 33" | 197" |
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 Aspen averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.7°).
A bigger shift than in 54% 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 Aspen compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Aspen’s place among Colorado’s.
Aspen weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Aspen’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Aspen 1sw, CO. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 33° | 10° | 1.5" | 28.1" | 13 | 31 | 16° – 27° |
| February | 37° | 11° | 1.7" | 28.3" | 13 | 29 | 20° – 31° |
| March | 45° | 19° | 1.9" | 26.9" | 11 | 30 | 27° – 37° |
| April | 52° | 25° | 2.1" | 20.9" | 13 | 18 | 34° – 44° |
| May | 63° | 34° | 1.7" | 7.0" | 11 | 3 | 43° – 51° |
| June | 74° | 41° | 1.0" | 0.4" | 7 | 0 | 53° – 61° |
| July | 80° | 46° | 1.7" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 59° – 67° |
| August | 77° | 45° | 1.6" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 58° – 65° |
| September | 70° | 38° | 1.7" | 1.0" | 10 | 0 | 49° – 58° |
| October | 58° | 28° | 1.7" | 10.2" | 9 | 5 | 37° – 48° |
| November | 43° | 18° | 1.5" | 20.5" | 10 | 21 | 22° – 38° |
| December | 33° | 9° | 1.5" | 27.5" | 12 | 31 | 17° – 27° |
| Year | 55° | 27° | 19.7" | 170.8" | 133 | 168 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 22° to 38°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Aspen’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 Aspen’s center.
- Snow: Aspen 1sw, CO (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Aspen 1sw, CO, 0.7 miles from the town’s center, 270 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 Aspen’s climate
What is the weather like in Aspen?
A typical July afternoon reaches 80°, a January night drops to 10°, and about 171 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 94% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 93% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Aspen in winter?
December nights average 9°. About 210 nights a year reach 32° or below and 14 reach 0° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 17°.
How much snow does Aspen get?
About 171 inches in a normal winter at Aspen 1sw, CO, most of it in January, February, March and December, with snow on the ground about 168 days a year.
How hot does it get in Aspen?
July, with a typical high of 80°. 90° days are rare: none in a normal year at Aspen 1sw, CO.
When is the first and last frost in Aspen?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by June 2 and the first fall frost by September 23, about 113 frost-free days, at Aspen 1sw, CO.
What growing zone is Aspen in?
Zone 5b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −12°.
What is the best time of year to visit Aspen?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), June, July and August. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Aspen getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 54% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Aspen.
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.