Photo: katkimchee · CC BY 2.0Steamboat Springs gets about 185 inches of snow a winter, more than all but 28 U.S. towns
Expect July afternoons of about 83°. By precipitation alone, it ranks drier than 89% of U.S. towns. March has warmed most since 1901–2000, part of a 1.5° rise. Tender plants can go out after about June 9; in half of years the first frost comes by September 12.
A year in Steamboat Springs at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Steamboat Springs’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Steamboat Springs’ place in Colorado beside it.
What a year in Steamboat Springs feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 93 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by June 9 and the first by September 12. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Steamboat Springs, CO, 0.9 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Steamboat Springs’ center in zone 4b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −22°. 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 185 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Steamboat Springs, CO, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 21 inches a year; April is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 136 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Steamboat Springs
99% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from September 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 Steamboat Springs, CO.
Living with Steamboat Springs’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
93 frost-free days in zone 4b. The last frost comes by Jun 9 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 12.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: July and August. 31 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Steamboat Springs from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (89%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 2%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Steamboat Springs and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Steamboat Springs yet.
Climates most like Steamboat Springs’, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steamboat Springs, CO | 6° | 83° | 21" | 185" |
| Park City, UT | 18° | 81° | 23" | 153" |
| Lewistown, MT | 12° | 82° | 18" | 112" |
| Ishpeming, MI | 5° | 77° | 33" | 197" |
| South Lake Tahoe, CA | 22° | 81° | 19" | 179" |
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 Steamboat Springs averaged 1.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+3.6°).
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 Steamboat Springs compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Steamboat Springs’ place among Colorado’s.
Steamboat Springs weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Steamboat Springs’ center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Steamboat Springs, CO. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 31° | 6° | 2.1" | 46.6" | 15 | 31 | 14° – 24° |
| February | 35° | 10° | 1.8" | 35.7" | 13 | 29 | 17° – 30° |
| March | 46° | 19° | 1.5" | 19.5" | 11 | 27 | 26° – 39° |
| April | 54° | 26° | 2.3" | 13.2" | 13 | 9 | 35° – 45° |
| May | 65° | 34° | 2.1" | 2.8" | 13 | 1 | 45° – 54° |
| June | 76° | 40° | 1.3" | 0.3" | 8 | 0 | 53° – 62° |
| July | 83° | 46° | 1.2" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 60° – 69° |
| August | 81° | 45° | 1.4" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 59° – 67° |
| September | 73° | 37° | 1.9" | 0.4" | 10 | 0 | 50° – 59° |
| October | 59° | 27° | 1.9" | 6.9" | 9 | 4 | 36° – 48° |
| November | 44° | 18° | 1.8" | 23.3" | 10 | 19 | 21° – 38° |
| December | 32° | 7° | 1.9" | 35.8" | 13 | 30 | 15° – 25° |
| Year | 56° | 26° | 21.3" | 184.5" | 136 | 151 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 21° to 38°. August is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Steamboat Springs’ 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 Steamboat Springs’ center.
- Snow: Steamboat Springs, CO (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Steamboat Springs, CO, 0.9 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 Steamboat Springs’ climate
What is the weather like in Steamboat Springs?
A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 6°, and about 185 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 97% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 76% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Steamboat Springs in winter?
January nights average 6°. About 233 nights a year reach 32° or below and 38 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 14°.
How much snow does Steamboat Springs get?
About 185 inches in a normal winter at Steamboat Springs, CO, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 151 days a year.
How hot does it get in Steamboat Springs?
July, with a typical high of 83° and a low of 46°. About 6 days a year reach 90° (Steamboat Springs, CO).
When is the first and last frost in Steamboat Springs?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by June 9 and the first fall frost by September 12, about 93 frost-free days, at Steamboat Springs, CO.
What growing zone is Steamboat Springs in?
Zone 4b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −22°.
What is the best time of year to visit Steamboat Springs?
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 Steamboat Springs 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 Steamboat Springs.
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.