Photo: C caudill1 · CC BY-SA 4.0Del Norte’s winters are colder and snowier than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 79°, a January night drops to 3°, and about 39 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Del Norte at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Del Norte’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Del Norte’s place in Colorado beside it.
What a year in Del Norte feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 123 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 23 and the first by September 25. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Del Norte 3ene, CO, 2.6 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Del Norte’s center in zone 5b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −13°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
About 39 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Del Norte 3ene, CO, falls mostly in March. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 10 inches a year; August is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 72 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Del Norte
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 Del Norte 3ene, CO.
Living with Del Norte’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
123 frost-free days in zone 5b. The last frost comes by May 23 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 25.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July and August. 1.7 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Del Norte from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (65%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 13%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Del Norte and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Del Norte yet.
Climates most like Del Norte’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Del Norte, CO | 3° | 79° | 10" | 39" |
| Minot, ND | 2° | 82° | 17" | 52" |
| Laramie, WY | 12° | 81° | 12" | 64" |
| Thief River Falls, MN | −4° | 79° | 22" | 50" |
| Havre, MT | 6° | 85° | 13" | 41" |
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 Del Norte averaged 1.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+3.1°).
A bigger shift than in 65% 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 Del Norte compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Del Norte’s place among Colorado’s.
Del Norte weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Del Norte’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Del Norte 3ene, CO. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 33° | 3° | 0.4" | 5.3" | 3 | 20 | 8° – 27° |
| February | 38° | 9° | 0.4" | 5.7" | 4 | 14 | 16° – 32° |
| March | 49° | 18° | 0.7" | 8.2" | 5 | 5 | 29° – 40° |
| April | 57° | 25° | 0.8" | 5.0" | 5 | 2 | 36° – 45° |
| May | 66° | 33° | 0.8" | 1.3" | 6 | 0 | 45° – 55° |
| June | 76° | 40° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 54° – 63° |
| July | 79° | 46° | 1.6" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 59° – 66° |
| August | 77° | 45° | 1.8" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 58° – 64° |
| September | 71° | 37° | 1.1" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 50° – 59° |
| October | 61° | 27° | 0.9" | 2.5" | 5 | 1 | 39° – 49° |
| November | 47° | 15° | 0.5" | 4.8" | 4 | 5 | 24° – 41° |
| December | 35° | 4° | 0.5" | 5.8" | 4 | 16 | 11° – 29° |
| Year | 58° | 25° | 10.2" | 38.6" | 72 | 63 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. January swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 8° to 27°. August is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Del Norte’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 Del Norte’s center.
- Snow: Del Norte 3ene, CO.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Del Norte 3ene, CO, 2.6 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 Del Norte’s climate
What is the weather like in Del Norte?
A typical July afternoon reaches 79°, a January night drops to 3°, and about 39 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than all but 118 U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 95% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Del Norte in winter?
January nights average 3°. About 213 nights a year reach 32° or below and 22 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 8°.
How much snow does Del Norte get?
About 39 inches in a normal winter at Del Norte 3ene, CO, most of it in March, with snow on the ground about 63 days a year.
How hot does it get in Del Norte?
July, with a typical high of 79°. 90° days are rare: none in a normal year at Del Norte 3ene, CO.
When is the first and last frost in Del Norte?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 23 and the first fall frost by September 25, about 123 frost-free days, at Del Norte 3ene, CO.
What growing zone is Del Norte in?
Zone 5b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −13°.
What is the best time of year to visit Del Norte?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), June, July and August. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Del Norte getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.6° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 65% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Del Norte.
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.