Photo: Smallbones · Public domainDry weather: only 18 inches of rain and melted snow a year in Manitou Springs, less than in 91% of U.S. towns
Sunny July days climb to about 85°. Winter nights are cold: in January they are colder than in 81% of U.S. towns. The latest 30-year average runs 1.1° warmer than 1901–2000’s, with March up the most. Central heating does most of its work from October to April, in months below 50° on average.
A year in Manitou Springs at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Manitou Springs’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Manitou Springs’ place in Colorado beside it.
What a year in Manitou Springs feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 158 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 3 and the first by October 8. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Colorado Springs Muni Airport, 13 miles from the town’s center, 320 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Manitou Springs’ center in zone 6a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −9°. 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 55 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Colorado Springs 5.7 Wnw, CO, falls mostly in February. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 18 inches a year; July is the wettest month and December the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 99 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Manitou Springs
91% 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 Colorado Springs Muni Airport.
Living with Manitou Springs’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
158 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by May 3 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 8.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, August and September. 16 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Manitou Springs from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (68%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 1%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Manitou Springs and its neighbors
Colorado Springs the hottest July afternoons (86°, 1° warmer). Differences under a degree are within what the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Manitou 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manitou Springs, CO | 16° | 85° | 18" | 55" |
| Doney Park, AZ | 17° | 86° | 16" | 52" |
| Ranchettes, WY | 16° | 85° | 16" | 65" |
| Rapid Valley, SD | 14° | 86° | 19" | 49" |
| Livingston, MT | 17° | 85° | 14" | 63" |
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 Manitou Springs averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+3.0°).
A smaller shift than in 67% 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 Manitou Springs compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Manitou Springs’ place among Colorado’s.
Manitou Springs weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Manitou Springs’ center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Colorado Springs 5.7 Wnw, CO. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 46° | 16° | 0.5" | 6.6" | 6 | 25° – 37° |
| February | 47° | 18° | 0.6" | 11.7" | 7 | 26° – 39° |
| March | 54° | 25° | 1.2" | 7.5" | 7 | 34° – 46° |
| April | 60° | 31° | 1.9" | 8.7" | 8 | 39° – 51° |
| May | 69° | 40° | 2.2" | 1.9" | 12 | 47° – 60° |
| June | 80° | 49° | 1.9" | 0.0" | 9 | 60° – 70° |
| July | 85° | 55° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 14 | 66° – 74° |
| August | 82° | 53° | 2.8" | 0.0" | 14 | 63° – 72° |
| September | 76° | 45° | 1.5" | 0.0" | 7 | 54° – 66° |
| October | 64° | 33° | 0.9" | 4.6" | 6 | 42° – 54° |
| November | 53° | 23° | 0.6" | 5.9" | 4 | 30° – 45° |
| December | 45° | 16° | 0.5" | 8.3" | 6 | 24° – 34° |
| Year | 63° | 34° | 17.8" | 55.2" | 99 |
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°. July is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Manitou 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 Manitou Springs’ center.
- Snow: Colorado Springs 5.7 Wnw, CO.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Colorado Springs Muni Airport, 13 miles from the town’s center, 320 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 Manitou Springs’ climate
What is the weather like in Manitou Springs?
A typical July afternoon reaches 85°, a January night drops to 16°, and about 55 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 81% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 51% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Manitou Springs in winter?
January nights average 16°. About 160 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 25°.
How much snow does Manitou Springs get?
About 55 inches in a normal winter at Colorado Springs 5.7 Wnw, CO, most of it in February.
How hot does it get in Manitou Springs?
July, with a typical high of 85° and a low of 55°. About 23 days a year reach 90° (Colorado Springs Muni Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Manitou Springs?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 3 and the first fall frost by October 8, about 158 frost-free days, at Colorado Springs Muni Airport.
What growing zone is Manitou Springs in?
Zone 6a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −9°.
What is the best time of year to visit Manitou Springs?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), June, August and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Manitou Springs getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 67% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Manitou 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.