Cherry Creek’s winters are colder and snowier than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 88°, a January night drops to 19°, and about 64 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Cherry Creek at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Cherry Creek’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Cherry Creek’s place in Colorado beside it.
What a year in Cherry Creek feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 154 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 5 and the first by October 8. Day counts come from NOAA’s station at Cherry Creek Dam, CO, 2.1 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height; frost dates and degree days from Denver Centennial Airport, 2.9 miles away.
The 2023 USDA map puts Cherry Creek’s center in zone 6a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −9°. 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 64 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Highlands Ranch 3.2 Ese, CO, falls mostly in February and April. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 16 inches a year; July is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 93 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Cherry Creek
90% 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 Denver Centennial Airport.
Living with Cherry Creek’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
154 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by May 5 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 8.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June and September. 1.2 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Cherry Creek from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (46%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 4%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Cherry Creek and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Cherry Creek in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Cherry Creek’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cherry Creek, CO | 19° | 88° | 16" | 64" |
| Pocatello, ID | 19° | 87° | 15" | 64" |
| Smithfield, UT | 15° | 89° | 18" | 62" |
| Altamont, OR | 22° | 86° | 13" | 52" |
| Billings, MT | 15° | 89° | 14" | 48" |
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 Cherry Creek averaged 1.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+3.5°).
A bigger shift than in 61% 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 Cherry Creek compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Cherry Creek’s place among Colorado’s.
Cherry Creek weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Cherry Creek’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Highlands Ranch 3.2 Ese, CO. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 46° | 19° | 0.5" | 8.1" | 5 | 22 | 23° – 38° |
| February | 47° | 21° | 0.5" | 11.6" | 6 | 19 | 29° – 41° |
| March | 55° | 28° | 1.2" | 9.9" | 6 | 11 | 35° – 48° |
| April | 61° | 33° | 1.9" | 10.9" | 9 | 5 | 42° – 53° |
| May | 70° | 43° | 2.3" | 2.5" | 12 | 1 | 50° – 61° |
| June | 82° | 52° | 1.9" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 63° – 73° |
| July | 88° | 58° | 2.4" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 69° – 77° |
| August | 86° | 56° | 1.8" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 67° – 75° |
| September | 78° | 48° | 1.3" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 58° – 68° |
| October | 65° | 36° | 1.0" | 6.3" | 7 | 4 | 43° – 56° |
| November | 54° | 26° | 0.7" | 6.1" | 5 | 8 | 31° – 47° |
| December | 45° | 19° | 0.5" | 8.6" | 6 | 19 | 25° – 36° |
| Year | 65° | 37° | 15.8" | 64.0" | 93 | 87 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 31° to 47°. July is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Cherry Creek’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 Cherry Creek’s center.
- Snow: Highlands Ranch 3.2 Ese, CO.
- Frost dates, heating and cooling: Denver Centennial Airport, 2.9 miles away.
- Freezing nights, 90° and 100° days: Cherry Creek Dam, CO, 2.1 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 Cherry Creek’s climate
What is the weather like in Cherry Creek?
A typical July afternoon reaches 88°, a January night drops to 19°, and about 64 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 65% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 67% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Cherry Creek in winter?
December nights average 19°. About 172 nights a year reach 32° or below and 6 reach 0° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 25°.
How much snow does Cherry Creek get?
About 64 inches in a normal winter at Highlands Ranch 3.2 Ese, CO, most of it in February and April, with snow on the ground about 87 days a year.
How hot does it get in Cherry Creek?
July, with a typical high of 88° and a low of 58°. About 47 days a year reach 90° and 4 reach 100° (Denver Centennial Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Cherry Creek?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 5 and the first fall frost by October 8, about 154 frost-free days, at Denver Centennial Airport.
What growing zone is Cherry Creek in?
Zone 6a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −9°.
What is the best time of year to visit Cherry Creek?
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 Cherry Creek getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.5° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 61% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Cherry Creek.
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.