Photo: Frank Schulenburg · CC BY-SA 4.0Estes Park gets about 118 inches of snow a winter, more than all but 146 U.S. towns
A typical July afternoon reaches 79°, a January night drops to 11°, and about 118 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Estes Park at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Estes Park’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Estes Park’s place in Colorado beside it.
What a year in Estes Park feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 109 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 30 and the first by September 17. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Estes Park 3 Sse, CO, 1.5 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Estes Park’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°
90° days by month
Average days at 90° or more
About 118 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Estes Park 1.8 S, CO, falls mostly in April. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 19 inches a year; May is the wettest month and December the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 119 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Estes Park
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 Estes Park 3 Sse, CO.
Living with Estes Park’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
109 frost-free days in zone 5b. The last frost comes by May 30 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 17.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: July and August. 13 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Estes Park from natural hazards, avalanches are the largest share (50%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 1%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Estes Park and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Estes Park yet.
Climates most like Estes Park’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Estes Park, CO | 11° | 79° | 19" | 118" |
| Lewistown, MT | 12° | 82° | 18" | 112" |
| Jackson, WY | 6° | 80° | 19" | 78" |
| Park City, UT | 18° | 81° | 23" | 153" |
| Marquette, MI | 11° | 76° | 32" | 102" |
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 Estes Park averaged 1.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+3.4°).
A bigger shift than in 73% 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 Estes Park compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Estes Park’s place among Colorado’s.
Estes Park weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Estes Park’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Estes Park 1.8 S, CO. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 37° | 11° | 0.8" | 9.5" | 7 | 19° – 30° |
| February | 38° | 12° | 0.8" | 14.9" | 10 | 21° – 31° |
| March | 45° | 18° | 1.6" | 16.9" | 9 | 26° – 38° |
| April | 51° | 24° | 2.5" | 26.2" | 11 | 32° – 43° |
| May | 61° | 32° | 2.7" | 13.4" | 13 | 40° – 50° |
| June | 72° | 39° | 1.7" | 0.0" | 9 | 52° – 61° |
| July | 79° | 45° | 2.1" | 0.0" | 15 | 58° – 67° |
| August | 76° | 43° | 2.0" | 0.0" | 13 | 56° – 63° |
| September | 69° | 36° | 1.7" | 0.6" | 8 | 47° – 56° |
| October | 57° | 27° | 1.2" | 11.3" | 8 | 35° – 47° |
| November | 45° | 19° | 1.0" | 10.8" | 7 | 24° – 39° |
| December | 37° | 12° | 0.7" | 14.4" | 9 | 18° – 29° |
| Year | 55° | 27° | 18.6" | 118.0" | 119 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 24° to 39°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Estes Park’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 Estes Park’s center.
- Snow: Estes Park 1.8 S, CO (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Estes Park 3 Sse, CO, 1.5 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 Estes Park’s climate
What is the weather like in Estes Park?
A typical July afternoon reaches 79°, a January night drops to 11°, and about 118 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 92% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 95% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Estes Park in winter?
January nights average 11°. About 184 nights a year reach 32° or below and 9 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 19°.
How much snow does Estes Park get?
About 118 inches in a normal winter at Estes Park 1.8 S, CO, most of it in April.
How hot does it get in Estes Park?
July, with a typical high of 79° and a low of 45°. About 2 days a year reach 90° (Estes Park 3 Sse, CO).
When is the first and last frost in Estes Park?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 30 and the first fall frost by September 17, about 109 frost-free days, at Estes Park 3 Sse, CO.
What growing zone is Estes Park 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 Estes Park?
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 Estes Park getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.7° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 73% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Estes Park.
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.