Photo: Jeffrey Beall · CC BY 3.0Black Forest gets about 121 inches of snow a winter, more than all but 135 U.S. towns
A typical July afternoon reaches 81°, a January night drops to 16°, and about 121 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Black Forest at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Black Forest’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Black Forest’s place in Colorado beside it.
What a year in Black Forest feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 114 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 29 and the first by September 21. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Eastonville 2 Nnw, CO, 5 miles from the town’s center, 200 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Black Forest’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°
90° days by month
Average days at 90° or more
About 121 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Monument, CO, is heaviest from March through April, about 24 inches a month. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 20 inches a year; July is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 106 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Black Forest
99% 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 Eastonville 2 Nnw, CO.
Living with Black Forest’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
114 frost-free days in zone 5b. The last frost comes by May 29 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 21.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July, August and September. 31 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Black Forest from natural hazards, wildfire is the largest share (56%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 4%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Black Forest and its neighbors
Colorado Springs the hottest July afternoons (86°, 5° warmer). Differences under a degree are within what the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Black Forest’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black Forest, CO | 16° | 81° | 20" | 121" |
| Lewistown, MT | 12° | 82° | 18" | 112" |
| Park City, UT | 18° | 81° | 23" | 153" |
| Flagstaff, AZ | 16° | 84° | 18" | 90" |
| South Lake Tahoe, CA | 22° | 81° | 19" | 179" |
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value. Snow and frost-free days come from the nearest weather station, so neighbors often share them.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Black Forest averaged 1.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+3.1°).
A smaller shift than in 60% 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 Black Forest compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Black Forest’s place among Colorado’s.
Black Forest weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Black Forest’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Monument, CO. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 43° | 16° | 0.5" | 14.4" | 7 | 23° – 35° |
| February | 43° | 17° | 0.7" | 10.9" | 6 | 25° – 37° |
| March | 50° | 23° | 1.2" | 24.2" | 9 | 31° – 43° |
| April | 55° | 29° | 2.2" | 23.7" | 9 | 36° – 47° |
| May | 64° | 37° | 2.4" | 3.3" | 9 | 44° – 56° |
| June | 76° | 47° | 2.2" | 0.0" | 11 | 56° – 67° |
| July | 81° | 53° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 12 | 63° – 71° |
| August | 78° | 51° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 14 | 60° – 69° |
| September | 72° | 44° | 1.5" | 1.7" | 7 | 52° – 64° |
| October | 60° | 33° | 1.1" | 11.1" | 5 | 40° – 52° |
| November | 49° | 23° | 0.8" | 18.4" | 8 | 28° – 43° |
| December | 42° | 17° | 0.5" | 13.4" | 7 | 22° – 33° |
| Year | 59° | 33° | 19.6" | 121.1" | 106 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 28° to 43°. July is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Black Forest’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 Black Forest’s center.
- Snow: Monument, CO.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Eastonville 2 Nnw, CO, 5 miles from the town’s center, 200 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 Black Forest’s climate
What is the weather like in Black Forest?
A typical July afternoon reaches 81°, a January night drops to 16°, and about 121 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 80% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 90% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Black Forest in winter?
January nights average 16°. About 212 nights a year reach 32° or below and 23 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 23°.
How much snow does Black Forest get?
About 121 inches in a normal winter at Monument, CO, heaviest from March through April, about 24 inches a month.
How hot does it get in Black Forest?
July, with a typical high of 81° and a low of 53°. About 5 days a year reach 90° (Eastonville 2 Nnw, CO).
When is the first and last frost in Black Forest?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 29 and the first fall frost by September 21, about 114 frost-free days, at Eastonville 2 Nnw, CO.
What growing zone is Black Forest 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 Black Forest?
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 Black Forest getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.2° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 60% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Black Forest.
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.