Photo: Jeffrey Beall · CC BY-SA 3.0Branson is drier than 92% of U.S. towns: 16 inches of precipitation a year
Peak summer warmth arrives in July, with afternoons near 87°. July is the wettest month, February the driest. Summer afternoons here are warmer than in 62% of U.S. towns. The heating season runs November to April: each of those months averages under 50°.
A year in Branson at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Branson’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Branson’s place in Colorado beside it.
What a year in Branson 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. Frost and day counts come from Capulin, NM, 20 miles away.
The 2023 USDA map puts Branson’s center in zone 6b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −4°. 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 41 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Capulin, NM, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 16 inches a year; July is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 82 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Branson
94% 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 Capulin, NM.
Living with Branson’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
136 frost-free days in zone 6b. 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: May, June and September.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Branson from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (52%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 10%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Branson and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Branson yet.
Climates most like Branson’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Branson, CO | 20° | 87° | 16" | 41" |
| Orchard Homes, MT | 18° | 86° | 13" | 43" |
| Los Alamos, NM | 19° | 85° | 15" | 42" |
| Suncrest, WA | 23° | 87° | 16" | 48" |
| Chubbuck, ID | 17° | 88° | 12" | 39" |
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 Branson averaged 1.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.8°).
A smaller shift than in 65% 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 Branson compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Branson’s place among Colorado’s.
Branson weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Branson’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Capulin, NM. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 46° | 20° | 0.6" | 6.4" | 5 | 12 | 25° – 37° |
| February | 49° | 21° | 0.5" | 5.4" | 5 | 9 | 28° – 43° |
| March | 57° | 27° | 1.2" | 7.7" | 6 | 3 | 38° – 48° |
| April | 64° | 34° | 1.4" | 4.6" | 6 | 1 | 43° – 54° |
| May | 73° | 43° | 1.7" | 0.7" | 7 | 0 | 53° – 64° |
| June | 84° | 53° | 1.5" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 64° – 72° |
| July | 87° | 58° | 2.9" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 69° – 76° |
| August | 84° | 57° | 2.7" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 67° – 74° |
| September | 78° | 49° | 1.3" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 58° – 68° |
| October | 67° | 37° | 1.2" | 2.4" | 5 | 1 | 46° – 57° |
| November | 55° | 27° | 0.5" | 4.6" | 4 | 3 | 33° – 48° |
| December | 46° | 20° | 0.5" | 9.1" | 5 | 10 | 27° – 37° |
| Year | 66° | 37° | 16.0" | 40.9" | 82 | 40 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 28° to 43°. July is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Branson’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 Branson’s center.
- Snow: Capulin, NM.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Capulin, NM, 20 miles from the town’s center, 590 ft higher; no station nearby passes every check; this is the nearest one in the same valley, flagged above.
- 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 Branson’s climate
What is the weather like in Branson?
A typical July afternoon reaches 87°, a January night drops to 20°, and about 41 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 62% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 62% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Branson in winter?
January nights average 20°. About 183 nights a year reach 32° or below and 9 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 25°.
How much snow does Branson get?
About 41 inches in a normal winter at Capulin, NM, most of it in December, with snow on the ground about 40 days a year.
How hot does it get in Branson?
July, with a typical high of 87° and a low of 58°. About 16 days a year reach 90° (Capulin, NM).
When is the first and last frost in Branson?
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 Capulin, NM.
What growing zone is Branson in?
Zone 6b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −4°.
What is the best time of year to visit Branson?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Branson getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.2° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 65% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Branson.
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.