Bradford House II · Photo: Jeffrey Beall · CC BY 3.0Dry weather: only 18 inches of rain and melted snow a year in Dakota Ridge, less than in 91% of U.S. towns
July afternoons average 87°. Seasons differ by 69°, from the coldest nights to the warmest afternoons. Summer afternoons here are warmer than in 64% of U.S. towns. Warm coats and heating bills mark the months from November to April, when means dip under 50°.
A year in Dakota Ridge at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Dakota Ridge’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Dakota Ridge’s place in Colorado beside it.
What a year in Dakota Ridge feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 160 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 2 and the first by October 11. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Marston Fltr Plt, CO, 4 miles from the town’s center, 140 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Dakota Ridge’s center in zone 6a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −10°. 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 34 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Marston Fltr Plt, CO, falls mostly in January, February and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 18 inches a year; May is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 74 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Dakota Ridge
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 Marston Fltr Plt, CO.
Living with Dakota Ridge’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
160 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by May 2 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 11.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June and September. 24 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Dakota Ridge from natural hazards, hail is the largest share (33%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 5%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Dakota Ridge and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Dakota Ridge in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Dakota Ridge’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dakota Ridge, CO | 19° | 87° | 18" | 34" |
| Lockwood, MT | 15° | 88° | 15" | 35" |
| Edgewood, NM | 19° | 85° | 15" | 29" |
| Chubbuck, ID | 17° | 88° | 12" | 39" |
| Sidney, NE | 15° | 89° | 17" | 29" |
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 Dakota Ridge averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+3.3°).
A bigger shift than in 51% 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 Dakota Ridge compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Dakota Ridge’s place among Colorado’s.
Dakota Ridge weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Dakota Ridge’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Marston Fltr Plt, CO. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 47° | 19° | 0.6" | 6.3" | 4 | 6 | 25° – 39° |
| February | 48° | 20° | 0.8" | 6.2" | 4 | 8 | 29° – 41° |
| March | 56° | 27° | 1.6" | 5.4" | 5 | 4 | 35° – 47° |
| April | 61° | 33° | 2.3" | 4.1" | 7 | 1 | 42° – 52° |
| May | 70° | 42° | 2.6" | 0.8" | 10 | 0 | 50° – 60° |
| June | 82° | 51° | 1.8" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 62° – 72° |
| July | 87° | 57° | 2.0" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 69° – 76° |
| August | 85° | 55° | 1.9" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 67° – 74° |
| September | 78° | 47° | 1.3" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 57° – 66° |
| October | 66° | 35° | 1.2" | 1.7" | 5 | 1 | 43° – 56° |
| November | 54° | 26° | 0.9" | 3.7" | 4 | 3 | 32° – 47° |
| December | 46° | 19° | 0.6" | 5.9" | 4 | 7 | 26° – 37° |
| Year | 65° | 36° | 17.5" | 34.1" | 74 | 31 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 32° to 47°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Dakota Ridge’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 Dakota Ridge’s center.
- Snow: Marston Fltr Plt, CO.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Marston Fltr Plt, CO, 4 miles from the town’s center, 140 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 Dakota Ridge’s climate
What is the weather like in Dakota Ridge?
A typical July afternoon reaches 87°, a January night drops to 19°, and about 34 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 63% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 64% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Dakota Ridge in winter?
December nights average 19°. About 147 nights a year reach 32° or below and 4 reach 0° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 26°.
How much snow does Dakota Ridge get?
About 34 inches in a normal winter at Marston Fltr Plt, CO, most of it in January, February and December, with snow on the ground about 31 days a year.
How hot does it get in Dakota Ridge?
July, with a typical high of 87° and a low of 57°. About 33 days a year reach 90° (Marston Fltr Plt, CO).
When is the first and last frost in Dakota Ridge?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 2 and the first fall frost by October 11, about 160 frost-free days, at Marston Fltr Plt, CO.
What growing zone is Dakota Ridge in?
Zone 6a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −10°.
What is the best time of year to visit Dakota Ridge?
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 Dakota Ridge getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 51% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Dakota Ridge.
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.