Alger, Amanda K., Memorial Methodist Episcopal Church · Photo: Jeffrey Beall · CC BY-SA 3.0Eaton is drier than 94% of U.S. towns: 14 inches of precipitation a year
The warmest part of a July day comes in at 90° on average. Rain follows the seasons: May brings about 8.2 times as much as January. By January nights alone, it runs colder than 85% of U.S. towns. Tender plants can go out after about May 2; in half of years the first frost comes by October 8.
A year in Eaton at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Eaton’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Eaton’s place in Colorado beside it.
What a year in Eaton feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 159 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 2 and the first by October 8. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Greeley Unc, CO, 9 miles from the town’s center, 110 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Eaton’s center in zone 5a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −15°. 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 33 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Greeley 3.9 Ene, CO, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 14 inches a year; May is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 87 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Eaton
86% 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 Greeley Unc, CO.
Living with Eaton’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
159 frost-free days in zone 5a. 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 8.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June and September. 1.9 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Eaton from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (43%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 18%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Eaton and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Eaton yet.
Climates most like Eaton’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eaton, CO | 15° | 90° | 14" | 33" |
| Nephi, UT | 17° | 91° | 14" | 32" |
| Elko, NV | 15° | 90° | 10" | 41" |
| Gallup, NM | 17° | 88° | 10" | 34" |
| Sheridan, WY | 11° | 89° | 15" | 33" |
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 Eaton averaged 1.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+3.6°).
A bigger shift than in 76% 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 Eaton compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Eaton’s place among Colorado’s.
Eaton weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Eaton’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Greeley 3.9 Ene, CO. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 43° | 15° | 0.3" | 3.9" | 3 | 15 | 18° – 36° |
| February | 46° | 18° | 0.3" | 5.5" | 5 | 10 | 25° – 39° |
| March | 56° | 25° | 0.7" | 3.7" | 6 | 3 | 33° – 48° |
| April | 63° | 33° | 1.6" | 3.6" | 8 | 2 | 41° – 54° |
| May | 72° | 43° | 2.4" | 1.0" | 13 | 1 | 51° – 61° |
| June | 84° | 52° | 1.8" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 63° – 74° |
| July | 90° | 58° | 1.7" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 69° – 78° |
| August | 88° | 55° | 1.7" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 67° – 75° |
| September | 79° | 47° | 1.2" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 58° – 67° |
| October | 66° | 34° | 1.1" | 2.9" | 6 | 2 | 43° – 55° |
| November | 52° | 23° | 0.5" | 4.5" | 4 | 5 | 29° – 43° |
| December | 43° | 15° | 0.3" | 7.6" | 5 | 17 | 21° – 34° |
| Year | 65° | 35° | 13.6" | 32.7" | 87 | 53 |
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 36°. August is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Eaton’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 Eaton’s center.
- Snow: Greeley 3.9 Ene, CO.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Greeley Unc, CO, 9 miles from the town’s center, 110 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 Eaton’s climate
What is the weather like in Eaton?
A typical July afternoon reaches 90°, a January night drops to 15°, and about 33 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 85% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 79% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Eaton in winter?
December nights average 15°. About 153 nights a year reach 32° or below and 6 reach 0° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 21°.
How much snow does Eaton get?
About 33 inches in a normal winter at Greeley 3.9 Ene, CO, most of it in December, with snow on the ground about 53 days a year.
How hot does it get in Eaton?
July, with a typical high of 90° and a low of 58°. About 58 days a year reach 90° and 7 reach 100° (Greeley Unc, CO).
When is the first and last frost in Eaton?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 2 and the first fall frost by October 8, about 159 frost-free days, at Greeley Unc, CO.
What growing zone is Eaton in?
Zone 5a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −15°.
What is the best time of year to visit Eaton?
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 Eaton getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.8° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 76% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Eaton.
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.