Photo: Chris Light · CC BY-SA 4.0Littleton is drier than 92% of U.S. towns: 16 inches of precipitation a year
Nights in January average 19°. Precipitation peaks in May and eases off in January. By July afternoons alone, it runs hotter than 73% of U.S. towns. Garden planting can start around May 2; autumn frost returns near October 11.
A year in Littleton at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Littleton’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Littleton’s place in Colorado beside it.
What a year in Littleton feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 160 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 2 and the first by October 11. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Marston Fltr Plt, CO, 3 miles from the town’s center, 170 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Littleton’s center in zone 6a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −8°. 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 64 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Highlands Ranch 3.2 Ese, CO, falls mostly in February and April. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 16 inches a year; May is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 93 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Littleton
90% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from October through April.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Marston Fltr Plt, CO.
Living with Littleton’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
160 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by May 2 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 11.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June and September. 43 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Littleton from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (43%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 5%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Littleton and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Littleton in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Littleton’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Littleton, CO | 19° | 89° | 16" | 64" |
| Herriman, UT | 22° | 90° | 15" | 74" |
| Pocatello, ID | 19° | 87° | 15" | 64" |
| Chadron, NE | 14° | 89° | 18" | 50" |
| Billings, MT | 15° | 89° | 14" | 48" |
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value. Snow and frost-free days come from the nearest weather station, so neighbors often share them.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Littleton averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+3.3°).
A bigger shift than in 52% 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 Littleton compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Littleton’s place among Colorado’s.
Littleton weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Littleton’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Highlands Ranch 3.2 Ese, CO. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 47° | 19° | 0.5" | 8.1" | 5 | 22 | 25° – 39° |
| February | 48° | 21° | 0.5" | 11.6" | 6 | 19 | 30° – 42° |
| March | 57° | 28° | 1.3" | 9.9" | 6 | 11 | 36° – 49° |
| April | 63° | 34° | 1.9" | 10.9" | 9 | 5 | 43° – 54° |
| May | 72° | 44° | 2.4" | 2.5" | 12 | 1 | 51° – 62° |
| June | 83° | 53° | 1.8" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 64° – 73° |
| July | 89° | 59° | 1.9" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 70° – 78° |
| August | 87° | 57° | 1.8" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 68° – 75° |
| September | 79° | 48° | 1.4" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 58° – 68° |
| October | 67° | 36° | 1.1" | 6.3" | 7 | 4 | 43° – 57° |
| November | 55° | 27° | 0.8" | 6.1" | 5 | 8 | 32° – 48° |
| December | 46° | 19° | 0.5" | 8.6" | 6 | 19 | 26° – 37° |
| Year | 66° | 37° | 16.0" | 64.0" | 93 | 87 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 32° to 48°. July is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Littleton’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 Littleton’s center.
- Snow: Highlands Ranch 3.2 Ese, CO.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Marston Fltr Plt, CO, 3 miles from the town’s center, 170 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 Littleton’s climate
What is the weather like in Littleton?
A typical July afternoon reaches 89°, a January night drops to 19°, and about 64 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 62% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 73% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Littleton in winter?
December nights average 19°. About 147 nights a year reach 32° or below and 4 reach 0° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 26°.
How much snow does Littleton get?
About 64 inches in a normal winter at Highlands Ranch 3.2 Ese, CO, most of it in February and April, with snow on the ground about 87 days a year.
How hot does it get in Littleton?
July, with a typical high of 89° and a low of 59°. About 33 days a year reach 90° (Marston Fltr Plt, CO).
When is the first and last frost in Littleton?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 2 and the first fall frost by October 11, about 160 frost-free days, at Marston Fltr Plt, CO.
What growing zone is Littleton in?
Zone 6a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −8°.
What is the best time of year to visit Littleton?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Littleton getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 52% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Littleton.
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.