Rockland Community Church and Cemetery · Photo: Jeffrey Beall · CC BY-SA 3.0Genesee gets about 141 inches of snow a winter, more than all but 72 U.S. towns
Midsummer highs settle at about 81°. By precipitation alone, it ranks drier than 90% of U.S. towns. March has warmed most since 1901–2000, part of a 1.4° rise. Seedlings are safe outdoors from about May 23, with the first autumn frost due around September 22.
A year in Genesee at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Genesee’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Genesee’s place in Colorado beside it.
What a year in Genesee feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 118 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 23 and the first by September 22. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Evergreen, CO, 4 miles from the town’s center, 440 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Genesee’s center in zone 5b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −12°. 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 141 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Golden 3sw, CO, falls mostly in April. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 19 inches a year; April is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 104 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Genesee
99% 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 Evergreen, CO.
Living with Genesee’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
118 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 22.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July, August and September.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Genesee from natural hazards, wildfire is the largest share (62%). Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Genesee and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Genesee yet.
Climates most like Genesee’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Genesee, CO | 20° | 81° | 19" | 141" |
| Park City, UT | 18° | 81° | 23" | 153" |
| South Lake Tahoe, CA | 22° | 81° | 19" | 179" |
| Lewistown, MT | 12° | 82° | 18" | 112" |
| Flagstaff, AZ | 16° | 84° | 18" | 90" |
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 Genesee averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+3.2°).
A bigger shift than in 51% 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 Genesee compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Genesee’s place among Colorado’s.
Genesee weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Genesee’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Golden 3sw, CO. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 43° | 20° | 0.7" | 15.7" | 6 | 22 | 25° – 37° |
| February | 43° | 20° | 0.9" | 21.6" | 8 | 19 | 26° – 39° |
| March | 50° | 25° | 1.9" | 19.9" | 7 | 13 | 32° – 44° |
| April | 55° | 30° | 2.7" | 29.9" | 10 | 8 | 37° – 48° |
| May | 64° | 38° | 2.6" | 8.5" | 13 | 3 | 46° – 55° |
| June | 76° | 47° | 1.9" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 57° – 66° |
| July | 81° | 53° | 2.2" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 64° – 71° |
| August | 79° | 52° | 2.2" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 62° – 69° |
| September | 72° | 44° | 1.6" | 0.3" | 7 | 0 | 53° – 62° |
| October | 61° | 34° | 1.3" | 8.5" | 7 | 4 | 40° – 53° |
| November | 50° | 26° | 0.9" | 9.7" | 5 | 6 | 30° – 45° |
| December | 43° | 19° | 0.7" | 26.4" | 6 | 18 | 24° – 35° |
| Year | 60° | 34° | 19.4" | 140.5" | 104 | 92 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 30° to 45°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Genesee’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 Genesee’s center.
- Snow: Golden 3sw, CO.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Evergreen, CO, 4 miles from the town’s center, 440 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 Genesee’s climate
What is the weather like in Genesee?
A typical July afternoon reaches 81°, a January night drops to 20°, and about 141 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 61% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 86% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Genesee in winter?
December nights average 19°. About 215 nights a year reach 32° or below and 14 reach 0° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 24°.
How much snow does Genesee get?
About 141 inches in a normal winter at Golden 3sw, CO, most of it in April, with snow on the ground about 92 days a year.
How hot does it get in Genesee?
July, with a typical high of 81° and a low of 53°. About 6 days a year reach 90° (Evergreen, CO).
When is the first and last frost in Genesee?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 23 and the first fall frost by September 22, about 118 frost-free days, at Evergreen, CO.
What growing zone is Genesee in?
Zone 5b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −12°.
What is the best time of year to visit Genesee?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), June, July, August and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Genesee getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 51% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Genesee.
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.