Gunnison River Bridge I · Photo: Jeffrey Beall · CC BY-SA 3.0Gunnison sits near the bottom of U.S. towns for winter warmth
Sunny July days climb to about 82°. By precipitation alone, it ranks drier than 96% of U.S. towns. Decade by decade the climate has edged up, 1.6° above 1901–2000. If you like long walks, July and August offer highs of 79–82°.
A year in Gunnison at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Gunnison’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Gunnison’s place in Colorado beside it.
What a year in Gunnison feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 96 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by June 9 and the first by September 16. Day counts come from NOAA’s station at Cochetopa Creek, CO, 11 miles from the town’s center, 290 ft higher; frost dates and degree days from Blue Mesa Lake, CO, 14 miles away.
The 2023 USDA map puts Gunnison’s center in zone 4a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −25°. 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 50 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Blue Mesa Lake, CO, falls mostly in January and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 12 inches a year; August is the wettest month and June the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 72 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Gunnison
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 Blue Mesa Lake, CO.
Living with Gunnison’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
96 frost-free days in zone 4a. The last frost comes by Jun 9 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. 13 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Gunnison from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (84%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 1%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Gunnison and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Gunnison yet.
Climates most like Gunnison’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gunnison, CO | 0° | 82° | 12" | 50" |
| Minot, ND | 2° | 82° | 17" | 52" |
| Havre, MT | 6° | 85° | 13" | 41" |
| Aberdeen, SD | 3° | 84° | 22" | 43" |
| East Grand Forks, MN | −2° | 81° | 23" | 49" |
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 Gunnison averaged 1.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+3.5°).
A bigger shift than in 65% 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 Gunnison compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Gunnison’s place among Colorado’s.
Gunnison weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Gunnison’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Blue Mesa Lake, CO. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 30° | 0° | 0.9" | 12.4" | 7 | 5° – 23° |
| February | 35° | 6° | 0.9" | 10.5" | 7 | 14° – 29° |
| March | 46° | 17° | 0.8" | 6.1" | 4 | 24° – 37° |
| April | 56° | 25° | 0.8" | 2.9" | 5 | 36° – 45° |
| May | 67° | 33° | 0.9" | 0.4" | 5 | 46° – 53° |
| June | 77° | 39° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 4 | 54° – 62° |
| July | 82° | 46° | 1.3" | 0.0" | 7 | 60° – 67° |
| August | 79° | 45° | 1.5" | 0.0" | 9 | 60° – 65° |
| September | 72° | 37° | 1.3" | 0.0" | 7 | 50° – 58° |
| October | 61° | 26° | 1.0" | 1.1" | 5 | 38° – 48° |
| November | 45° | 15° | 0.8" | 4.3" | 5 | 23° – 37° |
| December | 32° | 3° | 1.0" | 11.9" | 7 | 11° – 27° |
| Year | 57° | 24° | 11.7" | 49.6" | 72 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. January swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 5° to 23°. August is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Gunnison’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 Gunnison’s center.
- Snow: Blue Mesa Lake, CO.
- Frost dates, heating and cooling: Blue Mesa Lake, CO, 14 miles away.
- Freezing nights, 90° and 100° days: Cochetopa Creek, CO, 11 miles from the town’s center, 290 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 Gunnison’s climate
What is the weather like in Gunnison?
A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to 0°, and about 50 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than all but 52 U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 83% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Gunnison in winter?
January nights average 0°. About 246 nights a year reach 32° or below and 55 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 5°.
How much snow does Gunnison get?
About 50 inches in a normal winter at Blue Mesa Lake, CO, most of it in January and December.
How hot does it get in Gunnison?
July, with a typical high of 82° and a low of 46°. About 2 days a year reach 90° (Blue Mesa Lake, CO).
When is the first and last frost in Gunnison?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by June 9 and the first fall frost by September 16, about 96 frost-free days, at Blue Mesa Lake, CO.
What growing zone is Gunnison in?
Zone 4a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −25°.
What is the best time of year to visit Gunnison?
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 Gunnison getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.6° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 65% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Gunnison.
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.