Photo: Jeffrey Beall · CC BY 3.0Few U.S. towns have colder winter nights than Pitkin
In July the day’s top temperature is typically 73°. A year here swings 72° from midwinter lows to midsummer highs. Summers stay cool: July afternoons here are cooler than in almost every U.S. town. The outdoor season, with highs of 71–73°, runs through July and August.
A year in Pitkin at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Pitkin’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Pitkin’s place in Colorado beside it.
What a year in Pitkin feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 18 inches of rain a year
August is the wettest month and June the driest.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Living with Pitkin’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
Zone 4a.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: July and August.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Pitkin from natural hazards, avalanches are the largest share (64%). Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Pitkin and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Pitkin yet.
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 Pitkin averaged 1.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.7°).
A smaller shift than in 65% 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 Pitkin compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Pitkin’s place among Colorado’s.
Pitkin weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Pitkin’s center. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 30° | 1° | 1.5" | 9° – 20° |
| February | 33° | 4° | 1.7" | 13° – 25° |
| March | 41° | 12° | 1.6" | 22° – 32° |
| April | 48° | 21° | 1.5" | 30° – 39° |
| May | 58° | 29° | 1.4" | 38° – 47° |
| June | 69° | 36° | 0.8" | 49° – 57° |
| July | 73° | 42° | 1.9" | 54° – 61° |
| August | 71° | 41° | 2.1" | 54° – 58° |
| September | 65° | 34° | 1.7" | 44° – 53° |
| October | 53° | 24° | 1.3" | 33° – 43° |
| November | 40° | 13° | 1.4" | 19° – 33° |
| December | 30° | 3° | 1.7" | 11° – 23° |
| Year | 51° | 22° | 18.4" |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 19° to 33°. August is the most reliable, staying within 5°.
Where Pitkin’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 Pitkin’s center.
- 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 Pitkin’s climate
What is the weather like in Pitkin?
A typical July afternoon reaches 73°, a January night drops to 1°. Colder January nights than all but 66 U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than all but 145 U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Pitkin in winter?
January nights average 1°. About 295 nights a year reach 32° or below and 75 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 9°.
How hot does it get in Pitkin?
July, with a typical high of 73° and a low of 42°. About 4 days a year reach 90°.
What growing zone is Pitkin in?
Zone 4a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −30°.
What is the best time of year to visit Pitkin?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), July and August. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Pitkin getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.2° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 65% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Pitkin.
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.