Photo: Bede735 · CC BY-SA 3.0Ouray gets about 126 inches of snow a winter, more than all but 126 U.S. towns
July afternoons average 77°. Summers stay cool: July afternoons here are cooler than in 97% of U.S. towns. Compared with 1901–2000, the average now sits 2.3° higher. Comfortable outdoor weather lasts from June to September, with highs of 68–77°.
A year in Ouray at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Ouray’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Ouray’s place in Colorado beside it.
What a year in Ouray feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 137 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 17 and the first by October 1. Day counts come from NOAA’s station at Ouray #2, CO, 0.1 miles from the town’s center, 190 ft lower; frost dates and degree days from Ouray, CO, 0.6 miles away.
The 2023 USDA map puts Ouray’s center in zone 6a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −6°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
About 126 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Ouray, CO, falls mostly in January and March. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 23 inches a year; August is the wettest month and June the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 106 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Ouray
98% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from September 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 Ouray, CO.
Living with Ouray’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
137 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by May 17 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 1.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July, August and September. 3.2 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Ouray from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (43%). Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Ouray and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Ouray yet.
Climates most like Ouray’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ouray, CO | 13° | 77° | 23" | 126" |
| Snyderville, UT | 18° | 80° | 26" | 153" |
| Marquette, MI | 11° | 76° | 32" | 102" |
| Lewistown, MT | 12° | 82° | 18" | 112" |
| Greece, NY | 19° | 79° | 34" | 102" |
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 Ouray averaged 2.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+3.6°).
A bigger shift than in 98% 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 Ouray compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Ouray’s place among Colorado’s.
Ouray weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Ouray’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Ouray, CO. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 36° | 13° | 1.9" | 22.4" | 8 | 30 | 18° – 30° |
| February | 39° | 15° | 1.8" | 19.6" | 8 | 29 | 22° – 33° |
| March | 46° | 21° | 2.2" | 23.8" | 9 | 29 | 28° – 38° |
| April | 52° | 28° | 2.2" | 14.6" | 10 | 12 | 36° – 45° |
| May | 62° | 35° | 1.8" | 3.6" | 7 | 2 | 44° – 53° |
| June | 73° | 43° | 0.9" | 0.1" | 6 | 0 | 53° – 62° |
| July | 77° | 49° | 2.2" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 60° – 67° |
| August | 74° | 48° | 2.3" | 0.0" | 15 | 0 | 59° – 65° |
| September | 68° | 41° | 2.2" | 0.5" | 11 | 0 | 50° – 58° |
| October | 57° | 32° | 2.0" | 5.1" | 8 | 3 | 40° – 49° |
| November | 45° | 21° | 2.0" | 20.2" | 8 | 16 | 25° – 41° |
| December | 36° | 13° | 1.8" | 16.5" | 7 | 28 | 19° – 30° |
| Year | 55° | 30° | 23.2" | 126.4" | 106 | 149 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 25° to 41°. August is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Ouray’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 Ouray’s center.
- Snow: Ouray, CO (NOAA station in town).
- Frost dates, heating and cooling: Ouray, CO, 0.6 miles away.
- Freezing nights, 90° and 100° days: Ouray #2, CO, 0.1 miles from the town’s center, 190 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 Ouray’s climate
What is the weather like in Ouray?
A typical July afternoon reaches 77°, a January night drops to 13°, and about 126 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 90% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 97% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Ouray in winter?
January nights average 13°. About 179 nights a year reach 32° or below and 5 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 18°.
How much snow does Ouray get?
About 126 inches in a normal winter at Ouray, CO, most of it in January and March, with snow on the ground about 149 days a year.
How hot does it get in Ouray?
July, with a typical high of 77°. 90° days are rare: none in a normal year at Ouray, CO.
When is the first and last frost in Ouray?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 17 and the first fall frost by October 1, about 137 frost-free days, at Ouray, CO.
What growing zone is Ouray in?
Zone 6a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −6°.
What is the best time of year to visit Ouray?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), June, July, August and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Ouray getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 2.3° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 98% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Ouray.
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.