Photo: Jeffrey Beall · CC BY 4.0Hardly any U.S. towns collect less precipitation than Colona: 11 inches a year
On a normal January night the air cools to about 12°. By January nights alone, it runs colder than 91% of U.S. towns. March has warmed most since 1901–2000, part of a 2.7° rise. Homes need heating from October to April, the months averaging under 50°.
A year in Colona at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Colona’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Colona’s place in Colorado beside it.
What a year in Colona feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 167 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 28 and the first by October 14. Frost and day counts come from Montrose #2, CO, 12 miles away.
The 2023 USDA map puts Colona’s center in zone 6a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −8°. 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 11 inches of rain a year
August is the wettest month and June the driest.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Colona
88% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from October 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 Montrose #2, CO.
Living with Colona’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
167 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by Apr 28 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 14.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June and September.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Colona from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (43%). Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Colona and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Colona yet.
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 Colona averaged 2.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+4.1°).
A bigger shift than in all but 7 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 Colona compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Colona’s place among Colorado’s.
Colona weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Colona’s center. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 39° | 12° | 0.6" | 18° – 33° |
| February | 44° | 17° | 0.6" | 25° – 38° |
| March | 54° | 24° | 0.8" | 34° – 44° |
| April | 61° | 31° | 0.9" | 42° – 51° |
| May | 71° | 38° | 1.0" | 49° – 59° |
| June | 83° | 46° | 0.6" | 59° – 69° |
| July | 88° | 52° | 1.4" | 66° – 74° |
| August | 85° | 51° | 1.5" | 65° – 73° |
| September | 77° | 43° | 1.4" | 55° – 64° |
| October | 64° | 32° | 1.1" | 43° – 53° |
| November | 51° | 21° | 0.7" | 29° – 43° |
| December | 39° | 13° | 0.7" | 20° – 33° |
| Year | 63° | 32° | 11.3" |
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 33°. August is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Colona’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 Colona’s center.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Montrose #2, CO, 12 miles from the town’s center, 600 ft lower; 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 Colona’s climate
What is the weather like in Colona?
A typical July afternoon reaches 88°, a January night drops to 12°. Colder January nights than 91% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 66% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Colona in winter?
January nights average 12°. About 155 nights a year reach 32° or below and 3 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 18°.
How hot does it get in Colona?
July, with a typical high of 88° and a low of 52°. About 35 days a year reach 90° (Montrose #2, CO).
When is the first and last frost in Colona?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 28 and the first fall frost by October 14, about 167 frost-free days, at Montrose #2, CO.
What growing zone is Colona in?
Zone 6a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −8°.
What is the best time of year to visit Colona?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), June and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Colona getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 2.7° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than all but 7 U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Colona.
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.