Precipitation in El Jebel trails that of 95% of U.S. towns: 13 inches a year
Peak summer warmth arrives in July, with afternoons near 86°. The seasons are far apart: from a winter night to a summer afternoon the average spans 73°. By January nights alone, it runs colder than 90% of U.S. towns. Tender plants can go out after about May 13; in half of years the first frost comes by October 3.
A year in El Jebel at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about El Jebel’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with El Jebel’s place in Colorado beside it.
What a year in El Jebel feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 142 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 13 and the first by October 3. Frost and day counts come from Glenwood Spgs #2, CO, 14 miles away.
The 2023 USDA map puts El Jebel’s center in zone 6a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −9°. 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 39 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Glenwood Spgs #2, CO, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 13 inches a year; September is the wettest month and December the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 75 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in El Jebel
94% 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 Glenwood Spgs #2, CO.
Living with El Jebel’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
142 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by May 13 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 3.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, August and September. 1.4 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in El Jebel from natural hazards, avalanches are the largest share (65%). Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →El Jebel and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around El Jebel yet.
Climates most like El Jebel’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| El Jebel, CO | 13° | 86° | 13" | 39" |
| Helena, MT | 15° | 85° | 12" | 37" |
| Cody, WY | 14° | 85° | 11" | 45" |
| Taos, NM | 11° | 84° | 13" | 28" |
| Chubbuck, ID | 17° | 88° | 12" | 39" |
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 El Jebel averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.9°).
A bigger shift than in 52% 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 El Jebel compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with El Jebel’s place among Colorado’s.
El Jebel weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at El Jebel’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Glenwood Spgs #2, CO. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 36° | 13° | 0.8" | 13.7" | 8 | 18° – 31° |
| February | 41° | 17° | 0.8" | 6.3" | 6 | 25° – 35° |
| March | 51° | 25° | 1.0" | 2.4" | 6 | 33° – 43° |
| April | 58° | 30° | 1.3" | 0.6" | 7 | 40° – 50° |
| May | 69° | 38° | 1.3" | 0.0" | 6 | 48° – 57° |
| June | 80° | 46° | 0.8" | 0.0" | 5 | 58° – 68° |
| July | 86° | 52° | 1.4" | 0.0" | 5 | 65° – 74° |
| August | 84° | 50° | 1.3" | 0.0" | 7 | 64° – 72° |
| September | 76° | 43° | 1.4" | 0.0" | 6 | 53° – 63° |
| October | 62° | 32° | 1.2" | 0.7" | 6 | 41° – 53° |
| November | 47° | 22° | 0.9" | 4.4" | 6 | 27° – 42° |
| December | 36° | 14° | 0.7" | 10.8" | 7 | 19° – 30° |
| Year | 60° | 32° | 12.8" | 38.9" | 75 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 27° to 42°. August is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where El Jebel’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 El Jebel’s center.
- Snow: Glenwood Spgs #2, CO.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Glenwood Spgs #2, CO, 14 miles from the town’s center, 880 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 El Jebel’s climate
What is the weather like in El Jebel?
A typical July afternoon reaches 86°, a January night drops to 13°, and about 39 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 90% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 55% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in El Jebel in winter?
January nights average 13°. About 174 nights a year reach 32° or below and 6 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 18°.
How much snow does El Jebel get?
About 39 inches in a normal winter at Glenwood Spgs #2, CO, most of it in January.
How hot does it get in El Jebel?
July, with a typical high of 86° and a low of 52°. About 39 days a year reach 90° (Glenwood Spgs #2, CO).
When is the first and last frost in El Jebel?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 13 and the first fall frost by October 3, about 142 frost-free days, at Glenwood Spgs #2, CO.
What growing zone is El Jebel in?
Zone 6a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −9°.
What is the best time of year to visit El Jebel?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), June, August and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is El Jebel getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 52% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in El Jebel.
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.