Bark Ranch gets about 184 inches of snow a winter, more than all but 30 U.S. towns
The warmest part of a July day comes in at 76° on average. Seasons differ by 59°, from the coldest nights to the warmest afternoons. By July afternoons alone, it runs cooler than 98% of U.S. towns. Radiators earn their keep from October to May, the months that average under 50°.
A year in Bark Ranch at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Bark Ranch’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Bark Ranch’s place in Colorado beside it.
What a year in Bark Ranch feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 92 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by June 14 and the first by September 12. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Allenspark 3nw, CO, 9 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Bark Ranch’s center in zone 5b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −14°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
About 184 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Ward 4.6 Ne, CO, falls mostly in April. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 20 inches a year; April is the wettest month and December the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 140 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Bark Ranch
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 Allenspark 3nw, CO.
Living with Bark Ranch’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
92 frost-free days in zone 5b. The last frost comes by Jun 14 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 12.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July and August.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Bark Ranch from natural hazards, avalanches are the largest share (53%). Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Bark Ranch and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Bark Ranch yet.
Climates most like Bark Ranch’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bark Ranch, CO | 17° | 76° | 20" | 184" |
| Snyderville, UT | 18° | 80° | 26" | 153" |
| South Lake Tahoe, CA | 22° | 81° | 19" | 179" |
| Petoskey, MI | 16° | 76° | 35" | 124" |
| Incline Village, NV | 22° | 73° | 38" | 179" |
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 Bark Ranch averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+3.2°).
A smaller shift than in 51% 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 Bark Ranch compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Bark Ranch’s place among Colorado’s.
Bark Ranch weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Bark Ranch’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Ward 4.6 Ne, CO. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 36° | 17° | 0.7" | 15.8" | 9 | 31 | 22° – 32° |
| February | 37° | 16° | 0.9" | 28.0" | 12 | 29 | 22° – 33° |
| March | 44° | 21° | 1.7" | 29.9" | 12 | 29 | 27° – 39° |
| April | 49° | 26° | 2.8" | 34.9" | 13 | 19 | 32° – 43° |
| May | 58° | 34° | 2.8" | 17.9" | 16 | 6 | 41° – 50° |
| June | 70° | 42° | 2.0" | 0.1" | 10 | 0 | 52° – 61° |
| July | 76° | 48° | 2.4" | 0.0" | 15 | 0 | 58° – 66° |
| August | 73° | 46° | 2.3" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 56° – 63° |
| September | 66° | 40° | 1.7" | 0.7" | 10 | 1 | 48° – 57° |
| October | 54° | 31° | 1.3" | 18.1" | 10 | 8 | 36° – 48° |
| November | 43° | 23° | 0.9" | 13.5" | 8 | 19 | 24° – 40° |
| December | 36° | 16° | 0.6" | 24.6" | 11 | 29 | 19° – 31° |
| Year | 53° | 30° | 20.1" | 183.5" | 140 | 169 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 24° to 40°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Bark Ranch’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 Bark Ranch’s center.
- Snow: Ward 4.6 Ne, CO (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Allenspark 3nw, CO, 9 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height; 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 Bark Ranch’s climate
What is the weather like in Bark Ranch?
A typical July afternoon reaches 76°, a January night drops to 17°, and about 184 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 75% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 98% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Bark Ranch in winter?
December nights average 16°. About 225 nights a year reach 32° or below and 12 reach 0° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 19°.
How much snow does Bark Ranch get?
About 184 inches in a normal winter at Ward 4.6 Ne, CO, most of it in April, with snow on the ground about 169 days a year.
How hot does it get in Bark Ranch?
July, with a typical high of 76°. 90° days are rare: none in a normal year at Allenspark 3nw, CO.
When is the first and last frost in Bark Ranch?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by June 14 and the first fall frost by September 12, about 92 frost-free days, at Allenspark 3nw, CO.
What growing zone is Bark Ranch in?
Zone 5b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −14°.
What is the best time of year to visit Bark Ranch?
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 Bark Ranch getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.3° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 51% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Bark Ranch.
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.