Photo: Jeffrey Beall · CC BY 4.0Bethune is drier than 91% of U.S. towns: 18 inches of precipitation a year
On a normal January night the air cools to about 17°. Summer afternoons here are warmer than in 78% of U.S. towns. The latest 30-year average runs 1.4° warmer than 1901–2000’s, with March up the most. Tender plants can go out after about May 6; in half of years the first frost comes by October 9.
A year in Bethune at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Bethune’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Bethune’s place in Colorado beside it.
What a year in Bethune feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 155 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 6 and the first by October 9. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Burlington, CO, 9 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Bethune’s center in zone 6a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −8°. 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 34 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Burlington, CO, falls mostly in February. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 18 inches a year; July is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 65 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Bethune
86% 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 Burlington, CO.
Living with Bethune’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
155 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by May 6 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 9.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May and September. 0.5 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 26% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Bethune from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Bethune and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Bethune yet.
Climates most like Bethune’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bethune, CO | 17° | 90° | 18" | 34" |
| Perry, UT | 18° | 91° | 19" | 38" |
| Gering, NE | 15° | 90° | 15" | 43" |
| Torrington, WY | 14° | 90° | 13" | 31" |
| Spring Creek, NV | 15° | 89° | 14" | 41" |
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 Bethune averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+3.6°).
A bigger 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 Bethune compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Bethune’s place among Colorado’s.
Bethune weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Bethune’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Burlington, CO. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 44° | 17° | 0.4" | 5.3" | 3 | 6 | 19° – 38° |
| February | 46° | 19° | 0.5" | 6.8" | 4 | 7 | 26° – 41° |
| March | 56° | 28° | 0.9" | 5.8" | 4 | 3 | 35° – 50° |
| April | 64° | 34° | 1.8" | 3.9" | 6 | 1 | 44° – 55° |
| May | 74° | 45° | 2.7" | 0.3" | 9 | 0 | 51° – 64° |
| June | 85° | 55° | 2.6" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 65° – 76° |
| July | 90° | 61° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 71° – 80° |
| August | 88° | 59° | 2.8" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 68° – 77° |
| September | 80° | 50° | 1.2" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 59° – 71° |
| October | 67° | 37° | 1.2" | 2.7" | 5 | 1 | 43° – 59° |
| November | 54° | 26° | 0.6" | 3.7" | 3 | 2 | 32° – 47° |
| December | 44° | 18° | 0.4" | 5.2" | 3 | 7 | 23° – 35° |
| Year | 66° | 37° | 18.2" | 33.7" | 65 | 27 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. January swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 19° to 38°. August is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Bethune’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 Bethune’s center.
- Snow: Burlington, CO.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Burlington, 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 Bethune’s climate
What is the weather like in Bethune?
A typical July afternoon reaches 90°, a January night drops to 17°, and about 34 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 73% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 78% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Bethune in winter?
January nights average 17°. About 157 nights a year reach 32° or below and 5 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 19°.
How much snow does Bethune get?
About 34 inches in a normal winter at Burlington, CO, most of it in February, with snow on the ground about 27 days a year.
How hot does it get in Bethune?
July, with a typical high of 90° and a low of 61°. About 53 days a year reach 90° and 6 reach 100° (Burlington, CO).
When is the first and last frost in Bethune?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 6 and the first fall frost by October 9, about 155 frost-free days, at Burlington, CO.
What growing zone is Bethune in?
Zone 6a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −8°.
What is the best time of year to visit Bethune?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Bethune getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 51% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Bethune.
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.