Precipitation in Collbran trails that of 93% of U.S. towns: 14 inches a year
July afternoons average 89°. The seasons are far apart: from a winter night to a summer afternoon the average spans 75°. In January, nights here are colder than in 87% of U.S. towns. Central heating does most of its work from October to April, in months below 50° on average.
A year in Collbran at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Collbran’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Collbran’s place in Colorado beside it.
What a year in Collbran 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 September 30. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Collbran 1wsw, CO, 0.9 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Collbran’s center in zone 5b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −11°. 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 60 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Collbran 1wsw, CO, falls mostly in January and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 14 inches a year; October is the wettest month and June the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 95 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Collbran
93% 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 Collbran 1wsw, CO.
Living with Collbran’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
136 frost-free days in zone 5b. 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 Sep 30.
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 Collbran from natural hazards, avalanches are the largest share (37%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 1%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Collbran and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Collbran yet.
Climates most like Collbran’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Collbran, CO | 14° | 89° | 14" | 60" |
| Preston, ID | 14° | 89° | 15" | 52" |
| Douglas, WY | 12° | 88° | 13" | 59" |
| Billings, MT | 15° | 89° | 14" | 48" |
| Smithfield, UT | 15° | 89° | 18" | 62" |
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 Collbran averaged 2.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+3.9°).
A bigger shift than in 93% 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 Collbran compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Collbran’s place among Colorado’s.
Collbran weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Collbran’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Collbran 1wsw, CO. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 40° | 14° | 1.0" | 12.5" | 8 | 28 | 21° – 32° |
| February | 44° | 19° | 1.0" | 11.5" | 8 | 23 | 27° – 38° |
| March | 54° | 27° | 1.2" | 7.5" | 8 | 9 | 36° – 46° |
| April | 61° | 33° | 1.5" | 4.1" | 8 | 2 | 42° – 53° |
| May | 71° | 41° | 1.4" | 1.1" | 8 | 0 | 51° – 60° |
| June | 83° | 49° | 0.8" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 61° – 71° |
| July | 89° | 55° | 1.2" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 68° – 77° |
| August | 86° | 53° | 1.4" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 67° – 74° |
| September | 78° | 45° | 1.5" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 56° – 65° |
| October | 64° | 34° | 1.6" | 2.2" | 8 | 1 | 44° – 54° |
| November | 50° | 24° | 1.1" | 7.8" | 7 | 7 | 29° – 45° |
| December | 39° | 15° | 0.9" | 12.9" | 9 | 22 | 22° – 33° |
| Year | 63° | 34° | 14.4" | 59.6" | 95 | 92 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 29° to 45°. August is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Collbran’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 Collbran’s center.
- Snow: Collbran 1wsw, CO (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Collbran 1wsw, CO, 0.9 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 Collbran’s climate
What is the weather like in Collbran?
A typical July afternoon reaches 89°, a January night drops to 14°, and about 60 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 87% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 71% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Collbran in winter?
January nights average 14°. About 182 nights a year reach 32° or below and 12 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 21°.
How much snow does Collbran get?
About 60 inches in a normal winter at Collbran 1wsw, CO, most of it in January and December, with snow on the ground about 92 days a year.
How hot does it get in Collbran?
July, with a typical high of 89° and a low of 55°. About 40 days a year reach 90° (Collbran 1wsw, CO).
When is the first and last frost in Collbran?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 17 and the first fall frost by September 30, about 136 frost-free days, at Collbran 1wsw, CO.
What growing zone is Collbran in?
Zone 5b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −11°.
What is the best time of year to visit Collbran?
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 Collbran getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 2.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 93% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Collbran.
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.