Photo: Jeffrey Beall · CC BY 4.0North La Junta reaches 100° on about 18 days a year, more than 94% of U.S. towns
In January the night’s low is typically 16°. By precipitation alone, it ranks drier than 95% of U.S. towns. Decade by decade the climate has edged up, 1.5° above 1901–2000. The frost-free window for a garden runs roughly April 24 to October 15.
A year in North La Junta at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about North La Junta’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with North La Junta’s place in Colorado beside it.
What a year in North La Junta feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 173 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 24 and the first by October 15. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at La Junta Muni Airport, 3 miles from the town’s center, 150 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts North La Junta’s 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 34 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at La Junta, CO, falls mostly in January and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 13 inches a year; July is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 58 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in North La Junta
79% of the work is heating. 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 La Junta Muni Airport.
Living with North La Junta’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
173 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by Apr 24 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 15.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in North La Junta from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (54%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 8%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →North La Junta and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around North La Junta yet.
Climates most like North La Junta’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| North La Junta, CO | 16° | 94° | 13" | 34" |
| Grantsville, UT | 20° | 94° | 13" | 33" |
| Winnemucca, NV | 21° | 93° | 8" | 22" |
| Torrington, WY | 14° | 90° | 13" | 31" |
| Scottsbluff, NE | 15° | 90° | 15" | 43" |
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 North La Junta averaged 1.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+3.3°).
A bigger shift than in 62% 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 North La Junta compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with North La Junta’s place among Colorado’s.
North La Junta weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at North La Junta’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from La Junta, CO. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 47° | 16° | 0.4" | 7.2" | 4 | 8 | 18° – 37° |
| February | 51° | 20° | 0.4" | 6.3" | 4 | 5 | 26° – 44° |
| March | 62° | 28° | 0.9" | 6.0" | 5 | 3 | 40° – 50° |
| April | 69° | 36° | 1.3" | 2.1" | 6 | 1 | 47° – 57° |
| May | 79° | 47° | 1.7" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 56° – 68° |
| June | 89° | 57° | 1.5" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 68° – 78° |
| July | 94° | 62° | 2.3" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 74° – 82° |
| August | 91° | 60° | 1.8" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 71° – 80° |
| September | 84° | 51° | 0.9" | 0.1" | 4 | 0 | 61° – 74° |
| October | 71° | 37° | 1.1" | 2.8" | 4 | 1 | 47° – 60° |
| November | 58° | 25° | 0.5" | 2.8" | 3 | 2 | 33° – 47° |
| December | 47° | 17° | 0.4" | 6.5" | 4 | 8 | 24° – 36° |
| Year | 70° | 38° | 13.2" | 33.8" | 58 | 28 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. January swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 18° to 37°. July is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where North La Junta’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 North La Junta’s center.
- Snow: La Junta, CO (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: La Junta Muni Airport, 3 miles from the town’s center, 150 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 North La Junta’s climate
What is the weather like in North La Junta?
A typical July afternoon reaches 94°, a January night drops to 16°, and about 34 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 79% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 93% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in North La Junta in winter?
January nights average 16°. About 144 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 18°.
How much snow does North La Junta get?
About 34 inches in a normal winter at La Junta, CO, most of it in January and December, with snow on the ground about 28 days a year.
How hot does it get in North La Junta?
July, with a typical high of 94° and a low of 62°. About 80 days a year reach 90° and 18 reach 100° (La Junta Muni Airport).
When is the first and last frost in North La Junta?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 24 and the first fall frost by October 15, about 173 frost-free days, at La Junta Muni Airport.
What growing zone is North La Junta 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 North La Junta?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is North La Junta getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.5° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 62% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in North La Junta.
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.