Photo: Priscila Micaroni Lalli ([email protected]) · CC BY-SA 2.5Idaho Springs gets about 106 inches of snow a winter, more than 98% of U.S. towns
Sunny July days climb to about 78°. Winter and summer sit 65° apart. By July afternoons alone, it runs cooler than 96% of U.S. towns. Radiators earn their keep from October to May, the months that average under 50°.
A year in Idaho Springs at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Idaho Springs’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Idaho Springs’ place in Colorado beside it.
What a year in Idaho Springs feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 120 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 24 and the first by September 23. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Gross Reservoir, CO, 15 miles from the town’s center, 320 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Idaho Springs’ 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 106 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Georgetown, CO, falls mostly in April. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 18 inches a year; May is the wettest month and December the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 120 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Idaho Springs
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 Gross Reservoir, CO.
Living with Idaho Springs’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
120 frost-free days in zone 5b. The last frost comes by May 24 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 23.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July and August. 6.8 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Idaho Springs from natural hazards, avalanches are the largest share (78%). Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Idaho Springs and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Idaho Springs yet.
Climates most like Idaho Springs’, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Idaho Springs, CO | 12° | 78° | 18" | 106" |
| Jackson, WY | 6° | 80° | 19" | 78" |
| Lewistown, MT | 12° | 82° | 18" | 112" |
| 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 Idaho Springs averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.9°).
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 Idaho Springs compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Idaho Springs’ place among Colorado’s.
Idaho Springs weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Idaho Springs’ center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Georgetown, CO. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 37° | 12° | 0.6" | 12.5" | 9 | 23 | 20° – 30° |
| February | 39° | 13° | 0.8" | 12.6" | 9 | 20 | 21° – 32° |
| March | 45° | 19° | 1.6" | 18.5" | 11 | 14 | 27° – 38° |
| April | 52° | 25° | 2.2" | 20.9" | 12 | 10 | 33° – 44° |
| May | 61° | 32° | 2.4" | 6.6" | 10 | 3 | 41° – 50° |
| June | 72° | 40° | 1.7" | 0.2" | 10 | 0 | 52° – 61° |
| July | 78° | 46° | 2.3" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 58° – 66° |
| August | 75° | 44° | 2.2" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 56° – 64° |
| September | 69° | 36° | 1.6" | 1.6" | 10 | 1 | 47° – 57° |
| October | 57° | 27° | 1.1" | 7.5" | 8 | 4 | 35° – 47° |
| November | 45° | 19° | 0.8" | 11.1" | 7 | 12 | 24° – 39° |
| December | 37° | 12° | 0.6" | 14.4" | 9 | 22 | 19° – 30° |
| Year | 56° | 27° | 17.8" | 105.9" | 120 | 108 |
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°. July is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Idaho Springs’ 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 Idaho Springs’ center.
- Snow: Georgetown, CO.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Gross Reservoir, CO, 15 miles from the town’s center, 320 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 Idaho Springs’ climate
What is the weather like in Idaho Springs?
A typical July afternoon reaches 78°, a January night drops to 12°, and about 106 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 91% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 96% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Idaho Springs in winter?
January nights average 12°. About 188 nights a year reach 32° or below and 8 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 20°.
How much snow does Idaho Springs get?
About 106 inches in a normal winter at Georgetown, CO, most of it in April, with snow on the ground about 108 days a year.
How hot does it get in Idaho Springs?
July, with a typical high of 78° and a low of 46°. About 3 days a year reach 90° (Gross Reservoir, CO).
When is the first and last frost in Idaho Springs?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 24 and the first fall frost by September 23, about 120 frost-free days, at Gross Reservoir, CO.
What growing zone is Idaho Springs 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 Idaho Springs?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), June, July and August. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Idaho Springs 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 Idaho Springs.
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.