Elmer and Etta Ball Ranch · Photo: Jeffrey Beall · CC BY-SA 3.0Precipitation in Briggsdale trails that of 94% of U.S. towns: 13 inches a year
On a normal January night the air cools to about 14°. By January nights alone, it runs colder than 88% of U.S. towns. Since 1901–2000, the year has warmed by 1.7°, most of all in March. Homes need heating from October to April, the months averaging under 50°.
A year in Briggsdale at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Briggsdale’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Briggsdale’s place in Colorado beside it.
What a year in Briggsdale feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 135 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 12 and the first by September 28. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Briggsdale, CO, 0.2 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Briggsdale’s center in zone 5a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −17°. 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 19 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Briggsdale, CO, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 13 inches a year; May is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 58 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Briggsdale
92% 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 Briggsdale, CO.
Living with Briggsdale’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
135 frost-free days in zone 5a. The last frost comes by May 12 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 28.
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 Briggsdale from natural hazards, hail is the largest share (33%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 25%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Briggsdale and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Briggsdale yet.
Climates most like Briggsdale’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Briggsdale, CO | 14° | 90° | 13" | 19" |
| Ephraim, UT | 14° | 89° | 12" | 20" |
| White Rock, NM | 18° | 89° | 13" | 20" |
| Blackfoot, ID | 16° | 88° | 11" | 15" |
| Sheridan, WY | 11° | 89° | 15" | 33" |
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 Briggsdale averaged 1.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+3.6°).
A bigger shift than in 69% 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 Briggsdale compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Briggsdale’s place among Colorado’s.
Briggsdale weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Briggsdale’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Briggsdale, CO. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 42° | 14° | 0.2" | 2.4" | 2 | 18° – 35° |
| February | 45° | 16° | 0.3" | 2.3" | 2 | 23° – 38° |
| March | 55° | 24° | 0.7" | 3.8" | 3 | 32° – 46° |
| April | 62° | 31° | 1.3" | 1.2" | 5 | 40° – 53° |
| May | 71° | 41° | 2.3" | 0.3" | 9 | 50° – 60° |
| June | 83° | 50° | 2.0" | 0.0" | 7 | 62° – 73° |
| July | 90° | 57° | 1.9" | 0.0" | 7 | 69° – 77° |
| August | 87° | 54° | 1.8" | 0.0" | 7 | 67° – 74° |
| September | 79° | 45° | 1.2" | 0.1" | 5 | 57° – 66° |
| October | 65° | 33° | 1.0" | 1.6" | 4 | 41° – 54° |
| November | 51° | 21° | 0.4" | 2.8" | 3 | 27° – 42° |
| December | 42° | 14° | 0.3" | 4.3" | 3 | 19° – 33° |
| Year | 64° | 33° | 13.4" | 18.8" | 58 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. January swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 18° to 35°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Briggsdale’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 Briggsdale’s center.
- Snow: Briggsdale, CO (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Briggsdale, CO, 0.2 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 Briggsdale’s climate
What is the weather like in Briggsdale?
A typical July afternoon reaches 90°, a January night drops to 14°, and about 19 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 88% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 75% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Briggsdale in winter?
December nights average 14°. About 184 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 19°.
How much snow does Briggsdale get?
About 19 inches in a normal winter at Briggsdale, CO, most of it in December.
How hot does it get in Briggsdale?
July, with a typical high of 90° and a low of 57°. About 44 days a year reach 90° and 2 reach 100° (Briggsdale, CO).
When is the first and last frost in Briggsdale?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 12 and the first fall frost by September 28, about 135 frost-free days, at Briggsdale, CO.
What growing zone is Briggsdale in?
Zone 5a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −17°.
What is the best time of year to visit Briggsdale?
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 Briggsdale getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.7° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 69% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Briggsdale.
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.