Photo: DrunkDriver · CC BY-SA 3.0Hardly any U.S. towns see harsher January nights than South Fork
In July the day’s top temperature is typically 78°. Its yearly precipitation falls short of 97% of U.S. towns. Compared with 1901–2000, the average now sits 1.5° higher. Plan time outside for July and August, when highs sit at 75–78°.
A year in South Fork at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about South Fork’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with South Fork’s place in Colorado beside it.
What a year in South Fork feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 123 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 23 and the first by September 25. Frost and day counts come from Del Norte 3ene, CO, 18 miles away.
The 2023 USDA map puts South Fork’s center in zone 5a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −17°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
About 10 inches of rain a year
August is the wettest month and February the driest.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in South Fork
99% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. 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 Del Norte 3ene, CO.
Living with South Fork’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
123 frost-free days in zone 5a. The last frost comes by May 23 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 25.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: July and August. 1.6 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in South Fork from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (65%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 3%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →South Fork and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around South Fork 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 South Fork averaged 1.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.9°).
A bigger shift than in 58% 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 South Fork compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with South Fork’s place among Colorado’s.
South Fork weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at South Fork’s center. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 34° | −1° | 0.5" | 11° – 23° |
| February | 37° | 4° | 0.5" | 15° – 28° |
| March | 47° | 14° | 0.6" | 25° – 36° |
| April | 54° | 22° | 0.6" | 34° – 43° |
| May | 64° | 29° | 0.7" | 42° – 50° |
| June | 74° | 36° | 0.5" | 51° – 59° |
| July | 78° | 42° | 1.4" | 57° – 64° |
| August | 75° | 41° | 1.7" | 56° – 61° |
| September | 70° | 34° | 1.2" | 47° – 55° |
| October | 59° | 24° | 1.0" | 37° – 46° |
| November | 46° | 12° | 0.6" | 22° – 38° |
| December | 35° | 1° | 0.6" | 13° – 26° |
| Year | 56° | 22° | 9.9" |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 22° to 38°. August is the most reliable, staying within 5°.
Where South Fork’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 South Fork’s center.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Del Norte 3ene, CO, 18 miles from the town’s center, 410 ft lower; 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 South Fork’s climate
What is the weather like in South Fork?
A typical July afternoon reaches 78°, a January night drops to −1°. Colder January nights than all but 40 U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 96% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in South Fork in winter?
January nights average −1°. About 213 nights a year reach 32° or below and 22 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 11°.
How hot does it get in South Fork?
July, with a typical high of 78°. 90° days are rare: none in a normal year at Del Norte 3ene, CO.
When is the first and last frost in South Fork?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 23 and the first fall frost by September 25, about 123 frost-free days, at Del Norte 3ene, CO.
What growing zone is South Fork in?
Zone 5a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −17°.
What is the best time of year to visit South Fork?
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 South Fork getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.5° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 58% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in South Fork.
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.