Photo: Jeffrey Beall · CC BY 3.0Coal Creek gets about 99 inches of snow a winter, more than 97% of U.S. towns
Peak summer warmth arrives in July, with afternoons near 77°. Seasons differ by 60°, from the coldest nights to the warmest afternoons. In July, afternoons here are cooler than in 97% of U.S. towns. Garden chairs stay out from June to September, the months with highs of 68–77°.
A year in Coal Creek at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Coal Creek’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Coal Creek’s place in Colorado beside it.
What a year in Coal Creek feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 120 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 24 and the first by September 23. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Gross Reservoir, CO, 2.5 miles from the town’s center, 470 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Coal Creek’s center in zone 5b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −14°. 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 99 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Gross Reservoir, CO, is heaviest from March through April, about 20 inches a month. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 21 inches a year; April is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 88 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Coal Creek
99% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from September 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 Gross Reservoir, CO.
Living with Coal Creek’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
120 frost-free days in zone 5b. The last frost comes by May 24 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 23.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July, August and September. 2.8 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Coal Creek from natural hazards, wildfire is the largest share (59%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 1%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Coal Creek and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Coal Creek yet.
Climates most like Coal 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coal Creek, CO | 17° | 77° | 21" | 99" |
| Traverse City, MI | 17° | 79° | 32" | 101" |
| Snyderville, UT | 18° | 80° | 26" | 153" |
| Lewistown, MT | 12° | 82° | 18" | 112" |
| Greece, NY | 19° | 79° | 34" | 102" |
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 Coal Creek averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.9°).
A smaller shift than in 68% 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 Coal Creek compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Coal Creek’s place among Colorado’s.
Coal Creek weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Coal Creek’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Gross Reservoir, CO. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 38° | 17° | 0.7" | 9.4" | 5 | 18 | 22° – 34° |
| February | 39° | 17° | 0.9" | 14.0" | 6 | 16 | 23° – 34° |
| March | 45° | 22° | 1.9" | 21.0" | 6 | 14 | 29° – 40° |
| April | 51° | 27° | 2.8" | 19.8" | 8 | 9 | 34° – 44° |
| May | 60° | 35° | 2.8" | 3.9" | 11 | 2 | 42° – 51° |
| June | 72° | 43° | 1.9" | 0.1" | 8 | 0 | 53° – 63° |
| July | 77° | 49° | 2.5" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 60° – 68° |
| August | 75° | 48° | 2.4" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 57° – 65° |
| September | 68° | 41° | 1.8" | 0.9" | 7 | 0 | 49° – 59° |
| October | 57° | 31° | 1.3" | 6.9" | 6 | 3 | 37° – 50° |
| November | 45° | 23° | 1.0" | 12.0" | 5 | 10 | 26° – 42° |
| December | 39° | 17° | 0.7" | 11.1" | 5 | 15 | 21° – 32° |
| Year | 56° | 31° | 20.7" | 99.1" | 88 | 87 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 26° to 42°. July is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Coal 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 Coal Creek’s center.
- Snow: Gross Reservoir, CO.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Gross Reservoir, CO, 2.5 miles from the town’s center, 470 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 Coal Creek’s climate
What is the weather like in Coal Creek?
A typical July afternoon reaches 77°, a January night drops to 17°, and about 99 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 73% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 97% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Coal Creek in winter?
February nights average 17°. About 188 nights a year reach 32° or below and 8 reach 0° or below. In the coldest February of the last 30 years the month averaged 23°.
How much snow does Coal Creek get?
About 99 inches in a normal winter at Gross Reservoir, CO, heaviest from March through April, about 20 inches a month, with snow on the ground about 87 days a year.
How hot does it get in Coal Creek?
July, with a typical high of 77° and a low of 49°. About 3 days a year reach 90° (Gross Reservoir, CO).
When is the first and last frost in Coal Creek?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 24 and the first fall frost by September 23, about 120 frost-free days, at Gross Reservoir, CO.
What growing zone is Coal Creek in?
Zone 5b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −14°.
What is the best time of year to visit Coal Creek?
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 Coal Creek getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 68% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Coal 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.