Photo: Milan Suvajac · CC BY-SA 4.0Silver Plume gets about 154 inches of snow a winter, more than all but 52 U.S. towns
A typical July afternoon reaches 70°, a January night drops to 12°, and about 154 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Silver Plume at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Silver Plume’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Silver Plume’s place in Colorado beside it.
What a year in Silver Plume feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 103 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by June 6 and the first by September 19. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Cabin Creek, CO, 2.9 miles from the town’s center, 490 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Silver Plume’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°
About 154 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Cabin Creek, CO, falls mostly in April. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 23 inches a year; April is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 112 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Silver Plume
Nearly all of the work is heating: a normal year has almost no cooling days. Months averaging under 55° run from September through June.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Cabin Creek, CO.
Living with Silver Plume’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
103 frost-free days in zone 5b. The last frost comes by Jun 6 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 19.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: July and August.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Silver Plume from natural hazards, avalanches are the largest share (67%). Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Silver Plume and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Silver Plume yet.
Climates most like Silver Plume’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 Plume, CO | 12° | 70° | 23" | 154" |
| Palmer, AK | 9° | 66° | 18" | 83" |
| Marquette, MI | 11° | 76° | 32" | 102" |
| Incline Village, NV | 22° | 73° | 38" | 179" |
| Summit Park, UT | 19° | 79° | 30" | 153" |
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 Plume averaged 1.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+3.0°).
A smaller shift than in 59% 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 Plume compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Silver Plume’s place among Colorado’s.
Silver Plume weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Silver Plume’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Cabin Creek, CO. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 30° | 12° | 1.4" | 15.9" | 8 | 30 | 16° – 27° |
| February | 32° | 12° | 1.5" | 19.3" | 9 | 27 | 18° – 29° |
| March | 39° | 17° | 2.1" | 24.9" | 9 | 25 | 23° – 35° |
| April | 45° | 22° | 2.9" | 28.4" | 10 | 15 | 28° – 39° |
| May | 54° | 31° | 2.5" | 11.9" | 9 | 3 | 37° – 46° |
| June | 65° | 39° | 1.5" | 0.3" | 8 | 0 | 48° – 57° |
| July | 70° | 45° | 2.5" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 54° – 61° |
| August | 67° | 43° | 2.4" | 0.1" | 14 | 0 | 52° – 59° |
| September | 61° | 37° | 1.7" | 2.1" | 9 | 0 | 44° – 53° |
| October | 49° | 28° | 1.6" | 10.4" | 7 | 4 | 32° – 43° |
| November | 38° | 19° | 1.5" | 20.1" | 7 | 17 | 20° – 35° |
| December | 30° | 12° | 1.4" | 20.3" | 8 | 27 | 15° – 26° |
| Year | 48° | 27° | 23.0" | 153.7" | 112 | 149 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 20° to 35°. July is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Silver Plume’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 Plume’s center.
- Snow: Cabin Creek, CO.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Cabin Creek, CO, 2.9 miles from the town’s center, 490 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 Silver Plume’s climate
What is the weather like in Silver Plume?
A typical July afternoon reaches 70°, a January night drops to 12°, and about 154 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 91% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than all but 78 U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Silver Plume in winter?
December nights average 12°. About 234 nights a year reach 32° or below and 21 reach 0° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 15°.
How much snow does Silver Plume get?
About 154 inches in a normal winter at Cabin Creek, CO, most of it in April, with snow on the ground about 149 days a year.
How hot does it get in Silver Plume?
July, with a typical high of 70°. 90° days are rare: none in a normal year at Cabin Creek, CO.
When is the first and last frost in Silver Plume?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by June 6 and the first fall frost by September 19, about 103 frost-free days, at Cabin Creek, CO.
What growing zone is Silver Plume 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 Plume?
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 Silver Plume getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.2° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 59% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Silver Plume.
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.