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Climate in Severance · NOAA 1991–2020 normals

Severance’s winters are colder and snowier than most of the U.S.

A typical July afternoon reaches 90°, a January night drops to 15°, and about 33 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.

Colder January nights than 84% of U.S. towns#45 coldest of 149 in CO
More snow than 66% of U.S. towns#119Snowiest  of 148 in CO
All CO rankings →

A year in Severance at a glance

Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.

Jan43°15° 4" snow
Feb46°18° 6" snow
Mar56°26° 4" snow
Apr63°33° 4" snow
May72°43° Last frost ~May 31 day 90°+
Jun84°52° 6 days 90°+
Jul90°58° 14 days 90°+
Aug87°55° 9 days 90°+
Sep79°47° 2 days 90°+
Oct65°34° First frost ~Oct 6
Nov now52°23° 5" snow
Dec43°15° 8" snow

What stands out about Severance’s climate

Compared with towns across the U.S., with Severance’s place in Colorado beside it.

A normal year

What a year in Severance feels like

Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.

Winter
44° / 16°
12 days with 1"+ of snow
Spring
64° / 34°
Last frost around May 3
Summer
87° / 55°
32 days reach 90°
Fall
66° / 35°
First frost around Oct 6
Best months to be outsideMayJunSepHighs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more
Frost, heat & the growing season

About 154 frost-free days a year

In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 3 and the first by October 6. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Ft Collins 4 E, CO, 10 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.

166
nights at or below 32° in a normal year
65th most of 149 in Colorado
More freezing nights than 94% of U.S. towns
7
nights at or below 0°
54th most of 149 in Colorado
More nights at or below 0° than 77% of U.S. towns
32
days that reach 90°
100th most of 149 in Colorado
More 90° days than 64% of U.S. towns
<1
days that reach 100°
71st most of 149 in Colorado
More 100° days than 67% of U.S. towns
5bUSDA zone
Plant hardiness zone 5b

The 2023 USDA map puts Severance’s center in zone 5b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −14°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.

Freezing nights by month

Average nights at or below 32°

31
JFMAMJJASOND

90° days by month

Average days at 90° or more

14
JFMAMJJASOND
Rain & snow

About 33 inches of snow a winter

Snow, measured at Greeley 3.9 Ene, CO, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 13 inches a year; May is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 87 days a year.

13"
Rain + melted snow a year
32nd driest of 149 in Colorado
Drier than 94% of U.S. towns
33"
Snow in a normal winter
119th snowiest of 148 in Colorado
More snow than 66% of U.S. towns
53 days
With 1"+ of snow on the ground
38th most of 108 in Colorado
More days with snow on the ground than 75% of U.S. towns

Rain + melted snow by month

Inches of water

2.3"
JFMAMJJASOND

Snowfall by month

Inches of snow

8"
JFMAMJJASOND
Heating & cooling

Heating and cooling a home in Severance

91% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from October through April.

6,270 heating degree daysMore heating than 73% of U.S. towns
584 cooling degree daysLess cooling than 79% of U.S. towns

Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Ft Collins 4 E, CO.

Living here

Living with Severance’s climate

What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.

The garden window

154 frost-free days in zone 5b. The last frost comes by May 3 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 6.

Get outside

Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June and September. 17 miles of trails are waiting.

Parks & trails →
Storms and extremes

Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Severance from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (47%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 21%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.

Natural hazards →
Next door

Severance and its neighbors

Every town next door is within a degree of Severance in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.

Fort Collins: January low 16°, July high 89°Greeley: January low 15°, July high 90°Loveland: January low 16°, July high 89°Windsor: January low 15°, July high 90°Severance: January low 15°, July high 90°SeveranceWindsor
ColderMilder15° to 16°
Windsor15.0° about the same
Severance15.2°

Climates most like Severance’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.

TownJan. lowJuly highPrecip.Snow
Severance, CO15°90°13"33"
Nephi, UT17°91°14"32"
Spring Creek, NV15°89°14"41"
Gallup, NM17°88°10"34"
Chubbuck, ID17°88°12"39"

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.

Then and now

Warmer than it used to be

The last 30 years in Severance averaged 1.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+3.8°).

+1.9°1991–2020 vs. 1901–2000

A bigger shift than in 86% of U.S. towns.

Winter+2.2°now 30°, was 28°
Spring+2.2°now 49°, was 47°
Summer+1.9°now 71°, was 69°
Fall+1.4°now 50°, was 49°

Change by month

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

The two periods overlap (1991–2000 is in both), which makes the gap a little smaller than it would be between separate periods.

Compared with other towns

How Severance compares

Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Severance’s place among Colorado’s.

Summer heat90° July high
Hotter July afternoons than 77% of U.S. towns43rd hottest of 149 in Colorado
Winter cold15° January low
Colder January nights than 84% of U.S. towns45th coldest of 149 in Colorado
Precipitation13" a year
Drier than 94% of U.S. towns32nd driest of 149 in Colorado
Snow33" a winter
More snow than 66% of U.S. towns119th snowiest of 148 in Colorado
Hot days32 days at 90°+
More 90° days than 64% of U.S. towns100th most of 149 in Colorado
Freezing nights166 a year
More freezing nights than 94% of U.S. towns65th most of 149 in Colorado
Growing season154 frost-free days
A shorter frost-free season than 89% of U.S. towns72nd shortest of 145 in Colorado
Month by month

Severance weather by month

Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Severance’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Greeley 3.9 Ene, CO. 1991–2020 normals.

MonthHighLowRain + meltSnowWet daysSnow on ground30-yr range
January43°15°0.3"3.9"31520° – 36°
February46°18°0.3"5.5"51026° – 39°
March56°26°0.7"3.7"6334° – 48°
April63°33°1.6"3.6"8242° – 54°
May72°43°2.3"1.0"13151° – 61°
June84°52°1.7"0.0"10063° – 73°
July90°58°1.6"0.0"10069° – 78°
August87°55°1.6"0.0"9067° – 75°
September79°47°1.2"0.0"8058° – 67°
October65°34°1.1"2.9"6243° – 55°
November52°23°0.6"4.5"4530° – 44°
December43°15°0.3"7.6"51722° – 35°
Year65°35°13.4"32.7"8753
Year to year

How much a month can swing

A normal is an average. January swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 20° to 36°. August is the most reliable, staying within 8°.

Coldest to warmest month in 30 yearsNormal
Sources

Where Severance’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 Severance’s center.
  • Snow: Greeley 3.9 Ene, CO.
  • Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Ft Collins 4 E, CO, 10 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 Severance’s climate

What is the weather like in Severance?

A typical July afternoon reaches 90°, a January night drops to 15°, and about 33 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 84% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 77% of U.S. towns.

How cold does it get in Severance in winter?

January nights average 15°. About 166 nights a year reach 32° or below and 7 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 20°.

How much snow does Severance get?

About 33 inches in a normal winter at Greeley 3.9 Ene, CO, most of it in December, with snow on the ground about 53 days a year.

How hot does it get in Severance?

July, with a typical high of 90° and a low of 58°. About 32 days a year reach 90° (Ft Collins 4 E, CO).

When is the first and last frost in Severance?

In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 3 and the first fall frost by October 6, about 154 frost-free days, at Ft Collins 4 E, CO.

What growing zone is Severance in?

Zone 5b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −14°.

What is the best time of year to visit Severance?

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 Severance getting warmer?

Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 86% of U.S. towns.

Neighbors talk weather

Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Severance.

Town Square →
Ask your neighbors

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.