Photo: Joe Tempel · Public domainMorrison is drier than 90% of U.S. towns: 19 inches of precipitation a year
Deep winter brings January lows near 19°. By January nights alone, it runs colder than 65% of U.S. towns. March has warmed most since 1901–2000, part of a 1.4° rise. Homes need heating from October to April, the months averaging under 50°.
A year in Morrison at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Morrison’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Morrison’s place in Colorado beside it.
What a year in Morrison feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 155 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 3 and the first by October 7. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Lakewood, CO, 9 miles from the town’s center, 230 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Morrison’s center in zone 5b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −12°. 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 34 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Marston Fltr Plt, CO, falls mostly in January, February and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 19 inches a year; May is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 74 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Morrison
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 Lakewood, CO.
Living with Morrison’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
155 frost-free days in zone 5b. 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 7.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June and September. 1.7 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Morrison from natural hazards, wildfire is the largest share (61%). Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Morrison and its neighbors
Lakewood the hottest July afternoons (88°, 2° 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 Morrison’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Morrison, CO | 19° | 87° | 19" | 34" |
| Edgewood, NM | 19° | 85° | 15" | 29" |
| Lockwood, MT | 15° | 88° | 15" | 35" |
| Rapid City, SD | 14° | 86° | 19" | 36" |
| Suncrest, WA | 23° | 87° | 16" | 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 Morrison averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+3.4°).
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 Morrison compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Morrison’s place among Colorado’s.
Morrison weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Morrison’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Marston Fltr Plt, CO. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 46° | 19° | 0.7" | 6.3" | 4 | 6 | 25° – 38° |
| February | 47° | 20° | 0.8" | 6.2" | 4 | 8 | 28° – 41° |
| March | 55° | 27° | 1.8" | 5.4" | 5 | 4 | 35° – 47° |
| April | 61° | 32° | 2.6" | 4.1" | 7 | 1 | 41° – 52° |
| May | 70° | 42° | 2.7" | 0.8" | 10 | 0 | 50° – 60° |
| June | 81° | 50° | 1.8" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 62° – 71° |
| July | 87° | 56° | 2.1" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 68° – 75° |
| August | 85° | 54° | 1.9" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 66° – 73° |
| September | 78° | 46° | 1.4" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 57° – 66° |
| October | 65° | 35° | 1.2" | 1.7" | 5 | 1 | 42° – 55° |
| November | 54° | 26° | 1.0" | 3.7" | 4 | 3 | 32° – 47° |
| December | 46° | 18° | 0.7" | 5.9" | 4 | 7 | 26° – 36° |
| Year | 64° | 35° | 18.7" | 34.1" | 74 | 31 |
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 47°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Morrison’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 Morrison’s center.
- Snow: Marston Fltr Plt, CO.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Lakewood, CO, 9 miles from the town’s center, 230 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 Morrison’s climate
What is the weather like in Morrison?
A typical July afternoon reaches 87°, a January night drops to 19°, and about 34 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 65% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 60% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Morrison in winter?
December nights average 18°. About 154 nights a year reach 32° or below and 5 reach 0° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 26°.
How much snow does Morrison get?
About 34 inches in a normal winter at Marston Fltr Plt, CO, most of it in January, February and December, with snow on the ground about 31 days a year.
How hot does it get in Morrison?
July, with a typical high of 87° and a low of 56°. About 31 days a year reach 90° (Lakewood, CO).
When is the first and last frost in Morrison?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 3 and the first fall frost by October 7, about 155 frost-free days, at Lakewood, CO.
What growing zone is Morrison in?
Zone 5b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −12°.
What is the best time of year to visit Morrison?
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 Morrison 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 Morrison.
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.