Photo: Jared Winkler · CC BY-SA 4.0Dry weather: only 18 inches of rain and melted snow a year in Ponderosa Park, less than in 91% of U.S. towns
Sunny July days climb to about 85°. Winter and summer sit 68° apart. In January, nights here are colder than in 80% of U.S. towns. The frost-free window for a garden runs roughly May 16 to October 2.
A year in Ponderosa Park at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Ponderosa Park’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Ponderosa Park’s place in Colorado beside it.
What a year in Ponderosa Park 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 16 and the first by October 2. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Elizabeth 2nw, CO, 1.3 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Ponderosa Park’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 75 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Elizabeth 2nw, CO, falls mostly in April. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 18 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 Ponderosa Park
94% 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 Elizabeth 2nw, CO.
Living with Ponderosa Park’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
137 frost-free days in zone 5b. The last frost comes by May 16 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 2.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, August and September.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Ponderosa Park from natural hazards, wildfire is the largest share (30%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 13%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Ponderosa Park and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Ponderosa Park yet.
Climates most like Ponderosa Park’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ponderosa Park, CO | 16° | 85° | 18" | 75" |
| Flagstaff, AZ | 16° | 84° | 18" | 90" |
| Four Corners, MT | 14° | 84° | 15" | 91" |
| Rexburg, ID | 12° | 84° | 13" | 70" |
| Gillette, WY | 13° | 86° | 16" | 56" |
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 Ponderosa Park averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+3.3°).
A bigger shift than in 51% 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 Ponderosa Park compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Ponderosa Park’s place among Colorado’s.
Ponderosa Park weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Ponderosa Park’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Elizabeth 2nw, CO. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 44° | 16° | 0.6" | 7.9" | 5 | 19 | 21° – 35° |
| February | 45° | 18° | 0.6" | 10.2" | 6 | 17 | 25° – 38° |
| March | 52° | 25° | 1.2" | 10.9" | 7 | 11 | 33° – 45° |
| April | 58° | 31° | 2.1" | 14.6" | 8 | 7 | 39° – 50° |
| May | 67° | 40° | 2.4" | 2.8" | 10 | 1 | 46° – 57° |
| June | 79° | 49° | 2.1" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 59° – 69° |
| July | 85° | 55° | 2.8" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 66° – 73° |
| August | 82° | 53° | 2.4" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 63° – 72° |
| September | 75° | 45° | 1.3" | 0.3" | 8 | 0 | 54° – 65° |
| October | 62° | 33° | 1.0" | 8.7" | 6 | 4 | 40° – 54° |
| November | 51° | 23° | 0.7" | 7.4" | 5 | 9 | 29° – 45° |
| December | 43° | 16° | 0.6" | 12.0" | 5 | 19 | 23° – 35° |
| Year | 62° | 34° | 17.8" | 74.8" | 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 29° to 45°. July is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Ponderosa Park’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 Ponderosa Park’s center.
- Snow: Elizabeth 2nw, CO (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Elizabeth 2nw, CO, 1.3 miles from the town’s center, 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 Ponderosa Park’s climate
What is the weather like in Ponderosa Park?
A typical July afternoon reaches 85°, a January night drops to 16°, and about 75 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 80% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 55% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Ponderosa Park in winter?
January nights average 16°. About 170 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 21°.
How much snow does Ponderosa Park get?
About 75 inches in a normal winter at Elizabeth 2nw, CO, most of it in April, with snow on the ground about 87 days a year.
How hot does it get in Ponderosa Park?
July, with a typical high of 85° and a low of 55°. About 19 days a year reach 90° (Elizabeth 2nw, CO).
When is the first and last frost in Ponderosa Park?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 16 and the first fall frost by October 2, about 137 frost-free days, at Elizabeth 2nw, CO.
What growing zone is Ponderosa Park 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 Ponderosa Park?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), June, August and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Ponderosa Park getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 51% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Ponderosa Park.
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.