Photo: Daniel Schwen · CC BY-SA 4.0Hardly any U.S. towns see harsher January nights than Silverton
Peak summer warmth arrives in July, with afternoons near 70°. Precipitation peaks in August and eases off in June. In July, afternoons here are cooler than in almost every U.S. town. Seedlings are safe outdoors from about June 8, with the first autumn frost due around September 17.
A year in Silverton at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Silverton’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Silverton’s place in Colorado beside it.
What a year in Silverton feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 101 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by June 8 and the first by September 17. Day counts come from NOAA’s station at Silverton, CO, 0.2 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height; frost dates and degree days from Lake City, CO, 24 miles away.
The 2023 USDA map puts Silverton’s center in zone 4b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −23°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
About 28 inches of rain a year
August is the wettest month and June the driest.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Silverton
Nearly all of the work is heating: a normal year has almost no cooling days. Months averaging under 55° run from every month of the year.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Lake City, CO.
Living with Silverton’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
101 frost-free days in zone 4b. The last frost comes by Jun 8 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 17.
2.3 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Silverton from natural hazards, avalanches are the largest share (84%). Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Silverton and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Silverton 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 Silverton averaged 2.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+3.4°).
A bigger shift than in 97% 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 Silverton compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Silverton’s place among Colorado’s.
Silverton weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Silverton’s center. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 34° | 2° | 2.4" | 11° – 23° |
| February | 36° | 5° | 2.6" | 15° – 27° |
| March | 42° | 12° | 2.5" | 22° – 32° |
| April | 47° | 19° | 2.2" | 29° – 39° |
| May | 56° | 27° | 2.0" | 37° – 45° |
| June | 66° | 34° | 1.0" | 46° – 54° |
| July | 70° | 40° | 2.4" | 51° – 58° |
| August | 68° | 38° | 2.8" | 51° – 57° |
| September | 62° | 32° | 2.7" | 42° – 50° |
| October | 52° | 24° | 2.4" | 33° – 42° |
| November | 41° | 13° | 2.2" | 20° – 35° |
| December | 33° | 3° | 2.3" | 13° – 25° |
| Year | 51° | 21° | 27.5" |
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°. August is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Silverton’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 Silverton’s center.
- Frost dates, heating and cooling: Lake City, CO, 24 miles away.
- Freezing nights, 90° and 100° days: Silverton, CO, 0.2 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height; no station nearby passes every check; this is the nearest one in the same valley, flagged above.
- 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 Silverton’s climate
What is the weather like in Silverton?
A typical July afternoon reaches 70°, a January night drops to 2°. Colder January nights than all but 81 U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than all but 82 U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Silverton in winter?
January nights average 2°. About 272 nights a year reach 32° or below and 71 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 11°.
How hot does it get in Silverton?
July, with a typical high of 70°. 90° days are rare: none in a normal year at Lake City, CO.
When is the first and last frost in Silverton?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by June 8 and the first fall frost by September 17, about 101 frost-free days, at Lake City, CO.
What growing zone is Silverton in?
Zone 4b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −23°.
What is the best time of year to visit Silverton?
No month meets the simple rule we use (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more). The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Silverton getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 2.3° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 97% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Silverton.
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.