Photo: Jeffrey Beall · CC BY 4.0Palmer Lake gets about 121 inches of snow a winter, more than all but 135 U.S. towns
July afternoons average 82°. From frosty January to warm July, readings climb 68°. Its yearly precipitation falls short of 88% of U.S. towns. The heating season runs October to April: each of those months averages under 50°.
A year in Palmer Lake at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Palmer Lake’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Palmer Lake’s place in Colorado beside it.
What a year in Palmer Lake feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 138 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 14 and the first by October 1. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Monument, CO, 2.2 miles from the town’s center, 140 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Palmer Lake’s center in zone 5b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −11°. 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 121 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Monument, CO, is heaviest from March through April, about 24 inches a month. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 22 inches a year; July is the wettest month and February 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 Palmer Lake
97% 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 Monument, CO.
Living with Palmer Lake’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
138 frost-free days in zone 5b. The last frost comes by May 14 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. 5.8 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Palmer Lake from natural hazards, wildfire is the largest share (60%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 2%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Palmer Lake and its neighbors
Monument the hottest July afternoons (83°, 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 Palmer Lake’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Palmer Lake, CO | 14° | 82° | 22" | 121" |
| Lewistown, MT | 12° | 82° | 18" | 112" |
| Park City, UT | 18° | 81° | 23" | 153" |
| Flagstaff, AZ | 16° | 84° | 18" | 90" |
| Hailey, ID | 10° | 84° | 14" | 102" |
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 Palmer Lake averaged 1.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+3.0°).
A smaller shift than in 75% 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 Palmer Lake compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Palmer Lake’s place among Colorado’s.
Palmer Lake weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Palmer Lake’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Monument, CO. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 44° | 14° | 0.9" | 14.4" | 7 | 22° – 35° |
| February | 44° | 15° | 0.9" | 10.9" | 6 | 24° – 36° |
| March | 51° | 22° | 2.0" | 24.2" | 9 | 32° – 42° |
| April | 57° | 28° | 2.8" | 23.7" | 9 | 37° – 48° |
| May | 66° | 36° | 2.5" | 3.3" | 9 | 45° – 55° |
| June | 77° | 46° | 2.0" | 0.0" | 11 | 57° – 66° |
| July | 82° | 52° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 12 | 63° – 70° |
| August | 79° | 50° | 2.7" | 0.0" | 14 | 61° – 68° |
| September | 73° | 42° | 1.8" | 1.7" | 7 | 52° – 62° |
| October | 61° | 31° | 1.3" | 11.1" | 5 | 39° – 51° |
| November | 51° | 21° | 1.1" | 18.4" | 8 | 28° – 42° |
| December | 43° | 14° | 1.0" | 13.4" | 7 | 22° – 32° |
| Year | 61° | 31° | 22.0" | 121.1" | 106 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 28° to 42°. July is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Palmer Lake’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 Palmer Lake’s center.
- Snow: Monument, CO.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Monument, CO, 2.2 miles from the town’s center, 140 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 Palmer Lake’s climate
What is the weather like in Palmer Lake?
A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to 14°, and about 121 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 88% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 83% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Palmer Lake in winter?
December nights average 14°. About 184 nights a year reach 32° or below and 7 reach 0° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 22°.
How much snow does Palmer Lake get?
About 121 inches in a normal winter at Monument, CO, heaviest from March through April, about 24 inches a month.
How hot does it get in Palmer Lake?
July, with a typical high of 82° and a low of 52°. About 7 days a year reach 90° (Monument, CO).
When is the first and last frost in Palmer Lake?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 14 and the first fall frost by October 1, about 138 frost-free days, at Monument, CO.
What growing zone is Palmer Lake in?
Zone 5b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −11°.
What is the best time of year to visit Palmer Lake?
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 Palmer Lake getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 75% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Palmer Lake.
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.