Photo: Gillfoto · CC BY-SA 4.0Rico’s winters are colder than most of the U.S.; July afternoons average 72°
A typical July afternoon reaches 72°, a January night drops to 11°.
A year in Rico at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Rico’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Rico’s place in Colorado beside it.
What a year in Rico feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 25 inches of rain a year
August is the wettest month and June the driest.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Living with Rico’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
Zone 5b.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: July and August. 1.2 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Rico from natural hazards, avalanches are the largest share (41%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 1%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Rico and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Rico 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 Rico averaged 2.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+3.4°).
A bigger shift than in 94% 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 Rico compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Rico’s place among Colorado’s.
Rico weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Rico’s center. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 37° | 11° | 2.4" | 17° – 30° |
| February | 37° | 13° | 2.4" | 21° – 32° |
| March | 44° | 19° | 2.2" | 26° – 37° |
| April | 48° | 25° | 1.8" | 32° – 42° |
| May | 57° | 32° | 1.9" | 40° – 49° |
| June | 67° | 40° | 0.9" | 49° – 58° |
| July | 72° | 46° | 2.4" | 55° – 63° |
| August | 69° | 45° | 2.5" | 54° – 60° |
| September | 63° | 38° | 2.3" | 46° – 54° |
| October | 53° | 29° | 2.2" | 37° – 45° |
| November | 43° | 19° | 1.9" | 23° – 38° |
| December | 35° | 12° | 2.4" | 18° – 30° |
| Year | 52° | 27° | 25.3" |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 23° to 38°. August is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Rico’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 Rico’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 Rico’s climate
What is the weather like in Rico?
A typical July afternoon reaches 72°, a January night drops to 11°. Colder January nights than 92% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than all but 103 U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Rico in winter?
January nights average 11°. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 17°.
How hot does it get in Rico?
July, with a typical high of 72°. 90° days are rare.
What growing zone is Rico in?
Zone 5b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −15°.
What is the best time of year to visit Rico?
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 Rico getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 2.2° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 94% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Rico.
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.