Photo: Jeffrey Beall · CC BY 3.0Parker’s winters are colder and snowier than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 87°, a January night drops to 18°, and about 64 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Parker at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Parker’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Parker’s place in Colorado beside it.
What a year in Parker feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 145 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 9 and the first by October 3. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Parker, CO, 1.5 miles from the city’s center point, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Parker’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 64 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Highlands Ranch 3.2 Ese, CO, falls mostly in February and April. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 16 inches a year; July is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 93 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Parker
92% 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 Parker, CO.
Living with Parker’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
145 frost-free days in zone 5b. The last frost comes by May 9 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 3.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June and September. 62 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Parker from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (57%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 5%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Parker and its neighbors
Aurora the hottest July afternoons (89°, 2° 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 Parker’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Parker, CO | 18° | 87° | 16" | 64" |
| Pocatello, ID | 19° | 87° | 15" | 64" |
| Doney Park, AZ | 17° | 86° | 16" | 52" |
| Livingston, MT | 17° | 85° | 14" | 63" |
| Smithfield, UT | 15° | 89° | 18" | 62" |
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 Parker averaged 1.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+3.4°).
A bigger shift than in 57% 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 Parker compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Parker’s place among Colorado’s.
Parker weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Parker’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Highlands Ranch 3.2 Ese, CO. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 45° | 18° | 0.5" | 8.1" | 5 | 22 | 22° – 37° |
| February | 46° | 19° | 0.5" | 11.6" | 6 | 19 | 27° – 40° |
| March | 54° | 26° | 1.1" | 9.9" | 6 | 11 | 34° – 47° |
| April | 60° | 32° | 1.9" | 10.9" | 9 | 5 | 41° – 52° |
| May | 69° | 42° | 2.2" | 2.5" | 12 | 1 | 49° – 59° |
| June | 81° | 51° | 2.0" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 62° – 72° |
| July | 87° | 57° | 2.5" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 68° – 76° |
| August | 85° | 55° | 2.0" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 66° – 74° |
| September | 78° | 47° | 1.2" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 57° – 67° |
| October | 65° | 35° | 1.1" | 6.3" | 7 | 4 | 42° – 56° |
| November | 53° | 25° | 0.7" | 6.1" | 5 | 8 | 30° – 46° |
| December | 44° | 18° | 0.5" | 8.6" | 6 | 19 | 24° – 36° |
| Year | 64° | 35° | 16.1" | 64.0" | 93 | 87 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 30° to 46°. July is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Parker’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 Parker’s center.
- Snow: Highlands Ranch 3.2 Ese, CO.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Parker, CO, 1.5 miles from the city’s center point, at about the same height; 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 Parker’s climate
What is the weather like in Parker?
A typical July afternoon reaches 87°, a January night drops to 18°, and about 64 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 71% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 63% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Parker in winter?
January nights average 18°. About 177 nights a year reach 32° or below and 10 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 22°.
How much snow does Parker get?
About 64 inches in a normal winter at Highlands Ranch 3.2 Ese, CO, most of it in February and April, with snow on the ground about 87 days a year.
How hot does it get in Parker?
July, with a typical high of 87° and a low of 57°. About 35 days a year reach 90° (Parker, CO).
When is the first and last frost in Parker?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 9 and the first fall frost by October 3, about 145 frost-free days, at Parker, CO.
What growing zone is Parker 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 Parker?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Parker getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.5° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 57% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Parker.
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.