Photo: Jeffrey Beall · CC BY 3.0Rye gets about 130 inches of snow a winter, more than all but 99 U.S. towns
Midsummer highs settle at about 84°. Precipitation is light here, less than falls on 88% of U.S. towns. Since 1901–2000, the year has warmed by 1.4°, most of all in March. Tender plants can go out after about May 5; in half of years the first frost comes by October 10.
A year in Rye at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Rye’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Rye’s place in Colorado beside it.
What a year in Rye feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 156 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 5 and the first by October 10. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Rye 1sw, CO, 1.1 miles from the town’s center, 290 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Rye’s center in zone 6b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −4°. 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 130 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Rye 1sw, CO, falls mostly in March. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 22 inches a year; July is the wettest month and December the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 107 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Rye
93% 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 Rye 1sw, CO.
Living with Rye’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
156 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by May 5 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 10.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Rye from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (44%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 13%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Rye and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Rye yet.
Climates most like Rye’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rye, CO | 20° | 84° | 22" | 130" |
| Park City, UT | 18° | 81° | 23" | 153" |
| Flagstaff, AZ | 16° | 84° | 18" | 90" |
| Lewistown, MT | 12° | 82° | 18" | 112" |
| South Lake Tahoe, CA | 22° | 81° | 19" | 179" |
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 Rye averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+3.1°).
A bigger shift than in 50% 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 Rye compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Rye’s place among Colorado’s.
Rye weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Rye’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Rye 1sw, CO. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 44° | 20° | 1.2" | 18.1" | 6 | 26 | 24° – 37° |
| February | 46° | 21° | 1.1" | 20.3" | 8 | 20 | 27° – 41° |
| March | 54° | 28° | 2.0" | 23.9" | 8 | 12 | 37° – 47° |
| April | 61° | 33° | 2.5" | 21.1" | 10 | 5 | 41° – 52° |
| May | 69° | 42° | 2.4" | 2.6" | 11 | 1 | 49° – 62° |
| June | 80° | 51° | 1.7" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 61° – 71° |
| July | 84° | 56° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 66° – 75° |
| August | 81° | 55° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 64° – 73° |
| September | 75° | 48° | 1.5" | 0.6" | 8 | 0 | 55° – 68° |
| October | 64° | 37° | 1.4" | 9.1" | 7 | 3 | 45° – 58° |
| November | 52° | 28° | 1.3" | 13.4" | 6 | 10 | 31° – 47° |
| December | 44° | 21° | 1.0" | 21.1" | 7 | 23 | 26° – 37° |
| Year | 63° | 37° | 22.1" | 130.2" | 107 | 98 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 31° to 47°. July is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Rye’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 Rye’s center.
- Snow: Rye 1sw, CO (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Rye 1sw, CO, 1.1 miles from the town’s center, 290 ft higher; 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 Rye’s climate
What is the weather like in Rye?
A typical July afternoon reaches 84°, a January night drops to 20°, and about 130 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 61% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 61% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Rye in winter?
January nights average 20°. About 141 nights a year reach 32° or below and 3 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 24°.
How much snow does Rye get?
About 130 inches in a normal winter at Rye 1sw, CO, most of it in March, with snow on the ground about 98 days a year.
How hot does it get in Rye?
July, with a typical high of 84° and a low of 56°. About 7 days a year reach 90° (Rye 1sw, CO).
When is the first and last frost in Rye?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 5 and the first fall frost by October 10, about 156 frost-free days, at Rye 1sw, CO.
What growing zone is Rye in?
Zone 6b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −4°.
What is the best time of year to visit Rye?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June, July, August and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Rye getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 50% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Rye.
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.