Photo: Cobun Keegan · CC BY-SA 3.0Precipitation in Paonia trails that of 95% of U.S. towns: 13 inches a year
January nights here settle around 15°. The gap between a January night and a July afternoon is 76°. Winter nights are cold: in January they are colder than in 85% of U.S. towns. Radiators earn their keep from November to April, the months that average under 50°.
A year in Paonia at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Paonia’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Paonia’s place in Colorado beside it.
What a year in Paonia feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 159 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 3 and the first by October 12. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Paonia 1sw, CO, 2.1 miles from the town’s center, 110 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Paonia’s center in zone 6b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −5°. 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 41 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Paonia 1sw, CO, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 13 inches a year; September is the wettest month and June the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 86 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Paonia
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 Paonia 1sw, CO.
Living with Paonia’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
159 frost-free days in zone 6b. 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 12.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May and September. 2.2 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Paonia from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (78%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 1%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Paonia and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Paonia yet.
Climates most like Paonia’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paonia, CO | 15° | 91° | 13" | 41" |
| Scottsbluff, NE | 15° | 90° | 15" | 43" |
| Elko, NV | 15° | 90° | 10" | 41" |
| Tremonton, UT | 17° | 91° | 15" | 40" |
| Torrington, WY | 14° | 90° | 13" | 31" |
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 Paonia averaged 2.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+3.6°).
A bigger shift than in 93% 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 Paonia compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Paonia’s place among Colorado’s.
Paonia weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Paonia’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Paonia 1sw, CO. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 40° | 15° | 1.0" | 11.4" | 7 | 19° – 35° |
| February | 45° | 21° | 1.0" | 7.2" | 8 | 27° – 40° |
| March | 56° | 28° | 1.1" | 4.8" | 7 | 38° – 47° |
| April | 64° | 34° | 1.1" | 1.7" | 8 | 44° – 54° |
| May | 74° | 42° | 1.2" | 0.1" | 8 | 52° – 62° |
| June | 86° | 50° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 5 | 63° – 72° |
| July | 91° | 56° | 1.0" | 0.0" | 7 | 69° – 78° |
| August | 88° | 54° | 1.2" | 0.0" | 8 | 68° – 76° |
| September | 80° | 46° | 1.4" | 0.1" | 8 | 58° – 67° |
| October | 67° | 35° | 1.3" | 0.8" | 7 | 45° – 56° |
| November | 52° | 25° | 0.9" | 5.2" | 7 | 31° – 46° |
| December | 40° | 16° | 1.1" | 10.1" | 8 | 22° – 34° |
| Year | 65° | 35° | 12.9" | 41.4" | 86 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. January swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 19° to 35°. August is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Paonia’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 Paonia’s center.
- Snow: Paonia 1sw, CO.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Paonia 1sw, CO, 2.1 miles from the town’s center, 110 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 Paonia’s climate
What is the weather like in Paonia?
A typical July afternoon reaches 91°, a January night drops to 15°, and about 41 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 85% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 82% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Paonia in winter?
January nights average 15°. About 148 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 19°.
How much snow does Paonia get?
About 41 inches in a normal winter at Paonia 1sw, CO, most of it in January.
How hot does it get in Paonia?
July, with a typical high of 91° and a low of 56°. About 45 days a year reach 90° and 1 reach 100° (Paonia 1sw, CO).
When is the first and last frost in Paonia?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 3 and the first fall frost by October 12, about 159 frost-free days, at Paonia 1sw, CO.
What growing zone is Paonia in?
Zone 6b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −5°.
What is the best time of year to visit Paonia?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Paonia getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 2.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 93% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Paonia.
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.