Sugarloaf gets about 184 inches of snow a winter, more than all but 30 U.S. towns
The warmest part of a July day comes in at 80° on average. By July afternoons alone, it runs cooler than 91% of U.S. towns. Decade by decade the climate has edged up, 1.2° above 1901–2000. Warm coats and heating bills mark the months from October to April, when means dip under 50°.
A year in Sugarloaf at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Sugarloaf’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Sugarloaf’s place in Colorado beside it.
What a year in Sugarloaf feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 120 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 24 and the first by September 23. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Gross Reservoir, CO, 6 miles from the town’s center, 140 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Sugarloaf’s center in zone 5b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −12°. 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 184 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Ward 4.6 Ne, CO, falls mostly in April. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 19 inches a year; May is the wettest month and December the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 140 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Sugarloaf
99% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. 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 Gross Reservoir, CO.
Living with Sugarloaf’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
120 frost-free days in zone 5b. The last frost comes by May 24 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 23.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July, August and September. 2.5 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Sugarloaf from natural hazards, wildfire is the largest share (47%). Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Sugarloaf and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Sugarloaf yet.
Climates most like Sugarloaf’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sugarloaf, CO | 19° | 80° | 19" | 184" |
| South Lake Tahoe, CA | 22° | 81° | 19" | 179" |
| Park City, UT | 18° | 81° | 23" | 153" |
| Lewistown, MT | 12° | 82° | 18" | 112" |
| Flagstaff, AZ | 16° | 84° | 18" | 90" |
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 Sugarloaf averaged 1.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+3.0°).
A smaller shift than in 64% 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 Sugarloaf compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Sugarloaf’s place among Colorado’s.
Sugarloaf weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Sugarloaf’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Ward 4.6 Ne, CO. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 41° | 19° | 0.6" | 15.8" | 9 | 31 | 25° – 36° |
| February | 41° | 19° | 0.8" | 28.0" | 12 | 29 | 26° – 37° |
| March | 48° | 24° | 1.5" | 29.9" | 12 | 29 | 31° – 43° |
| April | 54° | 29° | 2.4" | 34.9" | 13 | 19 | 36° – 47° |
| May | 63° | 37° | 2.7" | 17.9" | 16 | 6 | 45° – 54° |
| June | 74° | 46° | 1.9" | 0.1" | 10 | 0 | 56° – 65° |
| July | 80° | 52° | 2.3" | 0.0" | 15 | 0 | 63° – 71° |
| August | 78° | 51° | 2.1" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 60° – 68° |
| September | 71° | 44° | 1.6" | 0.7" | 10 | 1 | 52° – 61° |
| October | 59° | 34° | 1.2" | 18.1" | 10 | 8 | 40° – 52° |
| November | 48° | 26° | 0.9" | 13.5" | 8 | 19 | 28° – 44° |
| December | 41° | 19° | 0.5" | 24.6" | 11 | 29 | 23° – 34° |
| Year | 58° | 33° | 18.5" | 183.5" | 140 | 169 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 28° to 44°. August is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Sugarloaf’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 Sugarloaf’s center.
- Snow: Ward 4.6 Ne, CO.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Gross Reservoir, CO, 6 miles from the town’s center, 140 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 Sugarloaf’s climate
What is the weather like in Sugarloaf?
A typical July afternoon reaches 80°, a January night drops to 19°, and about 184 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 65% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 91% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Sugarloaf in winter?
December nights average 19°. About 188 nights a year reach 32° or below and 8 reach 0° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 23°.
How much snow does Sugarloaf get?
About 184 inches in a normal winter at Ward 4.6 Ne, CO, most of it in April, with snow on the ground about 169 days a year.
How hot does it get in Sugarloaf?
July, with a typical high of 80° and a low of 52°. About 3 days a year reach 90° (Gross Reservoir, CO).
When is the first and last frost in Sugarloaf?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 24 and the first fall frost by September 23, about 120 frost-free days, at Gross Reservoir, CO.
What growing zone is Sugarloaf in?
Zone 5b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −12°.
What is the best time of year to visit Sugarloaf?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), June, July, August and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Sugarloaf getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.2° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 64% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Sugarloaf.
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.