Photo: Xnatedawgx · CC BY-SA 3.0Empire gets about 214 inches of snow a winter, more than all but 9 U.S. towns
A typical July afternoon reaches 74°, a January night drops to 9°, and about 214 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Empire at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Empire’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Empire’s place in Colorado beside it.
What a year in Empire feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 103 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by June 5 and the first by September 16. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Coal Creek Canyon, CO, 18 miles from the town’s center, 360 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Empire’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 214 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Winter Park, CO, falls mostly in January, February, March, April and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 20 inches a year; April is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 124 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Empire
Nearly all of the work is heating: a normal year has almost no cooling days. Months averaging under 55° run from September through June.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Coal Creek Canyon, CO.
Living with Empire’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
103 frost-free days in zone 5b. The last frost comes by Jun 5 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 16.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: July and August. 0.4 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Empire from natural hazards, avalanches are the largest share (67%). Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Empire and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Empire yet.
Climates most like Empire’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Empire, CO | 9° | 74° | 20" | 214" |
| Ishpeming, MI | 5° | 77° | 33" | 197" |
| Snyderville, UT | 18° | 80° | 26" | 153" |
| South Lake Tahoe, CA | 22° | 81° | 19" | 179" |
| Incline Village, NV | 22° | 73° | 38" | 179" |
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 Empire averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+3.0°).
A smaller shift than in 53% 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 Empire compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Empire’s place among Colorado’s.
Empire weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Empire’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Winter Park, CO. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 33° | 9° | 1.1" | 33.2" | 13 | 31 | 16° – 27° |
| February | 35° | 10° | 1.2" | 30.8" | 11 | 29 | 18° – 29° |
| March | 42° | 16° | 1.8" | 31.9" | 11 | 30 | 24° – 35° |
| April | 48° | 22° | 2.5" | 31.5" | 11 | 25 | 30° – 41° |
| May | 57° | 30° | 2.2" | 11.2" | 10 | 8 | 39° – 48° |
| June | 69° | 38° | 1.4" | 1.0" | 7 | 0 | 49° – 58° |
| July | 74° | 43° | 2.2" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 55° – 63° |
| August | 71° | 41° | 2.1" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 53° – 61° |
| September | 65° | 35° | 1.6" | 1.3" | 9 | 1 | 45° – 54° |
| October | 53° | 26° | 1.3" | 14.2" | 8 | 8 | 33° – 44° |
| November | 41° | 17° | 1.2" | 26.8" | 11 | 24 | 20° – 36° |
| December | 32° | 10° | 1.1" | 32.1" | 12 | 31 | 15° – 26° |
| Year | 52° | 25° | 19.6" | 214.0" | 124 | 186 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 20° to 36°. July is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Empire’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 Empire’s center.
- Snow: Winter Park, CO.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Coal Creek Canyon, CO, 18 miles from the town’s center, 360 ft higher; 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 Empire’s climate
What is the weather like in Empire?
A typical July afternoon reaches 74°, a January night drops to 9°, and about 214 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 94% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than all but 171 U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Empire in winter?
January nights average 9°. About 211 nights a year reach 32° or below and 11 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 16°.
How much snow does Empire get?
About 214 inches in a normal winter at Winter Park, CO, most of it in January, February, March, April and December, with snow on the ground about 186 days a year.
How hot does it get in Empire?
July, with a typical high of 74°. 90° days are rare: none in a normal year at Coal Creek Canyon, CO.
When is the first and last frost in Empire?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by June 5 and the first fall frost by September 16, about 103 frost-free days, at Coal Creek Canyon, CO.
What growing zone is Empire 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 Empire?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), July and August. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Empire getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.3° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 53% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Empire.
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.