Photo: Jeffrey Beall · CC BY 4.0Silver Cliff gets about 84 inches of snow a winter, more than 96% of U.S. towns
On a normal July day the thermometer tops out near 80°. The seasons are far apart: from a winter night to a summer afternoon the average spans 69°. In July, afternoons here are cooler than in 94% of U.S. towns. Radiators earn their keep from October to May, the months that average under 50°.
A year in Silver Cliff at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Silver Cliff’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Silver Cliff’s place in Colorado beside it.
What a year in Silver Cliff feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 89 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by June 11 and the first by September 9. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Westcliffe, CO, 4 miles from the town’s center, 360 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Silver Cliff’s center in zone 5b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −15°. 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 84 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Westcliffe, CO, falls mostly in April. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 17 inches a year; July is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 77 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Silver Cliff
Nearly all of the work is heating: a normal year has almost no cooling days. 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 Westcliffe, CO.
Living with Silver Cliff’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
89 frost-free days in zone 5b. The last frost comes by Jun 11 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Sep 9.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July and August. 6.3 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Silver Cliff from natural hazards, river flooding is 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 →Silver Cliff and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Silver Cliff yet.
Climates most like Silver Cliff’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Silver Cliff, CO | 10° | 80° | 17" | 84" |
| Jackson, WY | 6° | 80° | 19" | 78" |
| Lewistown, MT | 12° | 82° | 18" | 112" |
| Flagstaff, AZ | 16° | 84° | 18" | 90" |
| Hailey, ID | 10° | 84° | 14" | 102" |
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 Silver Cliff averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+3.3°).
A smaller 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 Silver Cliff compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Silver Cliff’s place among Colorado’s.
Silver Cliff weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Silver Cliff’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Westcliffe, CO. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 39° | 10° | 0.7" | 8.4" | 4 | 16 | 17° – 31° |
| February | 41° | 13° | 0.9" | 10.4" | 5 | 15 | 20° – 34° |
| March | 49° | 21° | 1.5" | 15.0" | 7 | 7 | 31° – 41° |
| April | 55° | 26° | 1.9" | 19.6" | 7 | 4 | 35° – 45° |
| May | 65° | 35° | 1.8" | 4.3" | 7 | 1 | 44° – 54° |
| June | 76° | 43° | 1.4" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 55° – 64° |
| July | 80° | 48° | 2.3" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 60° – 67° |
| August | 77° | 46° | 2.3" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 58° – 65° |
| September | 71° | 39° | 1.3" | 0.9" | 6 | 0 | 50° – 60° |
| October | 60° | 29° | 1.2" | 8.4" | 5 | 2 | 39° – 50° |
| November | 48° | 19° | 0.9" | 8.5" | 4 | 6 | 25° – 41° |
| December | 39° | 11° | 0.9" | 8.8" | 4 | 16 | 20° – 32° |
| Year | 58° | 28° | 17.1" | 84.3" | 77 | 65 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 25° to 41°. August is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Silver Cliff’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 Silver Cliff’s center.
- Snow: Westcliffe, CO.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Westcliffe, CO, 4 miles from the town’s center, 360 ft lower; 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 Silver Cliff’s climate
What is the weather like in Silver Cliff?
A typical July afternoon reaches 80°, a January night drops to 10°, and about 84 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 93% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 94% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Silver Cliff in winter?
January nights average 10°. About 213 nights a year reach 32° or below and 26 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 17°.
How much snow does Silver Cliff get?
About 84 inches in a normal winter at Westcliffe, CO, most of it in April, with snow on the ground about 65 days a year.
How hot does it get in Silver Cliff?
July, with a typical high of 80° and a low of 48°. About 1 days a year reach 90° (Westcliffe, CO).
When is the first and last frost in Silver Cliff?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by June 11 and the first fall frost by September 9, about 89 frost-free days, at Westcliffe, CO.
What growing zone is Silver Cliff 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 Silver Cliff?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), June, July and August. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Silver Cliff getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.3° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 51% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Silver Cliff.
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.