Photo: Jeffrey Beall · CC BY 4.0La Veta is drier than 92% of U.S. towns: 17 inches of precipitation a year
Deep winter brings January lows near 15°. A year here swings 69° from midwinter lows to midsummer highs. By January nights alone, it runs colder than 86% of U.S. towns. For walks and days out, the stretch from June to September brings highs of 75–84°.
A year in La Veta at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about La Veta’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with La Veta’s place in Colorado beside it.
What a year in La Veta feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 149 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 6 and the first by October 4. Frost and day counts come from Walsenburg 1 Nw, CO, 14 miles away.
The 2023 USDA map puts La Veta’s center in zone 5b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −10°. 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 51 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Sheep Mtn, CO, falls mostly in November. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 17 inches a year; July is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 61 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in La Veta
90% 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 Walsenburg 1 Nw, CO.
Living with La Veta’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
149 frost-free days in zone 5b. The last frost comes by May 6 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Oct 4.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July, August and September. 3.7 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in La Veta from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (75%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 1%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →La Veta and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around La Veta yet.
Climates most like La Veta’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| La Veta, CO | 15° | 84° | 17" | 51" |
| Doney Park, AZ | 17° | 86° | 16" | 52" |
| Ranchettes, WY | 16° | 85° | 16" | 65" |
| Kalispell, MT | 18° | 83° | 16" | 54" |
| Rapid Valley, SD | 14° | 86° | 19" | 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 La Veta averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+3.0°).
A bigger shift than in 55% 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 La Veta compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with La Veta’s place among Colorado’s.
La Veta weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at La Veta’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Sheep Mtn, CO. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 45° | 15° | 0.6" | 7.7" | 3 | 24° – 36° |
| February | 46° | 17° | 0.7" | 7.2" | 4 | 26° – 38° |
| March | 54° | 24° | 1.3" | 7.8" | 4 | 35° – 44° |
| April | 61° | 29° | 1.7" | 8.3" | 4 | 40° – 50° |
| May | 70° | 37° | 1.7" | 0.7" | 6 | 48° – 59° |
| June | 81° | 46° | 1.4" | 0.0" | 4 | 59° – 68° |
| July | 84° | 52° | 2.6" | 0.0" | 9 | 65° – 72° |
| August | 81° | 50° | 2.6" | 0.0" | 10 | 63° – 70° |
| September | 75° | 43° | 1.2" | 0.1" | 5 | 54° – 64° |
| October | 65° | 32° | 1.2" | 1.8" | 4 | 42° – 53° |
| November | 53° | 22° | 0.9" | 10.3" | 4 | 29° – 44° |
| December | 44° | 15° | 0.8" | 7.3" | 3 | 24° – 35° |
| Year | 63° | 32° | 16.5" | 51.2" | 61 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 29° to 44°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where La Veta’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 La Veta’s center.
- Snow: Sheep Mtn, CO.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Walsenburg 1 Nw, CO, 14 miles from the town’s center, 750 ft lower; no station nearby passes every check; this is the nearest one in the same valley, flagged above.
- 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 La Veta’s climate
What is the weather like in La Veta?
A typical July afternoon reaches 84°, a January night drops to 15°, and about 51 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 86% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 60% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in La Veta in winter?
January nights average 15°. About 137 nights a year reach 32° or below and 4 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 24°.
How much snow does La Veta get?
About 51 inches in a normal winter at Sheep Mtn, CO, most of it in November.
How hot does it get in La Veta?
July, with a typical high of 84° and a low of 52°. About 34 days a year reach 90° (Walsenburg 1 Nw, CO).
When is the first and last frost in La Veta?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 6 and the first fall frost by October 4, about 149 frost-free days, at Walsenburg 1 Nw, CO.
What growing zone is La Veta in?
Zone 5b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −10°.
What is the best time of year to visit La Veta?
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 La Veta getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 55% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in La Veta.
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.