Photo: Jeffrey Beall · CC BY 3.0Nathrop is among the driest of U.S. towns: 10 inches of precipitation a year
Expect July afternoons of about 83°. Rain follows the seasons: August brings about 5.1 times as much as January. Its January nights bite harder than in 95% of U.S. towns. Central heating does most of its work from October to April, in months below 50° on average.
A year in Nathrop at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Nathrop’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Nathrop’s place in Colorado beside it.
What a year in Nathrop feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 116 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 27 and the first by September 23. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Buena Vista 2s, CO, 6 miles from the town’s center, 280 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Nathrop’s 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 49 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Buena Vista 2s, CO, falls mostly in February, March, April and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 10 inches a year; August is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 84 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Nathrop
98% 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 Buena Vista 2s, CO.
Living with Nathrop’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
116 frost-free days in zone 5b. The last frost comes by May 27 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. 0.0 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Nathrop from natural hazards, avalanches are the largest share (58%). Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Nathrop and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Nathrop yet.
Climates most like Nathrop’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.
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 Nathrop averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.3°).
A smaller shift than in 72% 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 Nathrop compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Nathrop’s place among Colorado’s.
Nathrop weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Nathrop’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Buena Vista 2s, CO. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 40° | 9° | 0.3" | 6.2" | 4 | 12 | 18° – 31° |
| February | 42° | 12° | 0.4" | 7.4" | 5 | 10 | 22° – 34° |
| March | 50° | 20° | 0.6" | 8.2" | 6 | 5 | 30° – 41° |
| April | 57° | 26° | 1.0" | 8.1" | 7 | 3 | 36° – 47° |
| May | 67° | 34° | 1.1" | 3.2" | 7 | 1 | 45° – 55° |
| June | 79° | 42° | 0.7" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 55° – 65° |
| July | 83° | 48° | 1.6" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 61° – 69° |
| August | 80° | 46° | 1.6" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 60° – 67° |
| September | 74° | 38° | 1.0" | 0.4" | 8 | 0 | 51° – 60° |
| October | 62° | 28° | 0.8" | 3.1" | 6 | 1 | 39° – 50° |
| November | 49° | 19° | 0.4" | 5.1" | 5 | 4 | 27° – 41° |
| December | 40° | 10° | 0.4" | 7.6" | 5 | 11 | 19° – 31° |
| Year | 60° | 27° | 9.8" | 49.3" | 84 | 46 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 27° to 41°. August is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Nathrop’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 Nathrop’s center.
- Snow: Buena Vista 2s, CO.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Buena Vista 2s, CO, 6 miles from the town’s center, 280 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 Nathrop’s climate
What is the weather like in Nathrop?
A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 9°, and about 49 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 95% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 68% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Nathrop in winter?
January nights average 9°. About 208 nights a year reach 32° or below and 13 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 18°.
How much snow does Nathrop get?
About 49 inches in a normal winter at Buena Vista 2s, CO, most of it in February, March, April and December, with snow on the ground about 46 days a year.
How hot does it get in Nathrop?
July, with a typical high of 83° and a low of 48°. About 5 days a year reach 90° (Buena Vista 2s, CO).
When is the first and last frost in Nathrop?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 27 and the first fall frost by September 23, about 116 frost-free days, at Buena Vista 2s, CO.
What growing zone is Nathrop 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 Nathrop?
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 Nathrop getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 72% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Nathrop.
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.