Sunshine School · Photo: Bill German · CC BY-SA 3.0Tall Timber gets about 93 inches of snow a winter, more than 97% of U.S. towns
Peak summer warmth arrives in July, with afternoons near 83°. The wettest month is May; the driest is December. Its yearly precipitation falls short of 91% of U.S. towns. From May to September, highs of 66–83° make it easy to spend the day outdoors.
A year in Tall Timber at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Tall Timber’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Tall Timber’s place in Colorado beside it.
What a year in Tall Timber feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 151 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 6 and the first by October 5. Day counts come from NOAA’s station at Ralston Reservoir, CO, 14 miles from the town’s center, 650 ft lower; frost dates and degree days from Boulder, CO, 5 miles away.
The 2023 USDA map puts Tall Timber’s center in zone 6a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −9°. 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 93 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Boulder 1.6 S, CO, falls mostly in February. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 18 inches a year; May is the wettest month and December the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 93 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Tall Timber
90% 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 Boulder, CO.
Living with Tall Timber’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
151 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by May 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 Oct 5.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 1.8 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Tall Timber from natural hazards, wildfire is the largest share (47%). Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Tall Timber and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Tall Timber yet.
Climates most like Tall Timber’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tall Timber, CO | 21° | 83° | 18" | 93" |
| Flagstaff, AZ | 16° | 84° | 18" | 90" |
| Bozeman, MT | 13° | 83° | 17" | 91" |
| Pocatello, ID | 19° | 87° | 15" | 64" |
| Spearfish, SD | 15° | 86° | 25" | 71" |
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 Tall Timber averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+3.0°).
A smaller shift than in 68% 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 Tall Timber compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Tall Timber’s place among Colorado’s.
Tall Timber weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Tall Timber’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Boulder 1.6 S, CO. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 44° | 21° | 0.6" | 11.2" | 6 | 27° – 38° |
| February | 44° | 21° | 0.8" | 19.0" | 7 | 28° – 39° |
| March | 51° | 27° | 1.4" | 15.4" | 7 | 34° – 45° |
| April | 57° | 32° | 2.3" | 13.2" | 9 | 39° – 50° |
| May | 66° | 41° | 2.7" | 2.2" | 12 | 48° – 57° |
| June | 78° | 49° | 1.9" | 0.0" | 9 | 59° – 69° |
| July | 83° | 56° | 2.1" | 0.0" | 10 | 66° – 74° |
| August | 81° | 54° | 1.9" | 0.0" | 9 | 64° – 71° |
| September | 74° | 47° | 1.6" | 0.4" | 7 | 55° – 64° |
| October | 62° | 36° | 1.1" | 7.1" | 7 | 42° – 54° |
| November | 51° | 28° | 0.8" | 9.3" | 5 | 30° – 46° |
| December | 43° | 21° | 0.5" | 14.9" | 6 | 25° – 36° |
| Year | 61° | 36° | 17.6" | 92.7" | 93 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 30° to 46°. August is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Tall Timber’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 Tall Timber’s center.
- Snow: Boulder 1.6 S, CO.
- Frost dates, heating and cooling: Boulder, CO, 5 miles away.
- Freezing nights, 90° and 100° days: Ralston Reservoir, CO, 14 miles from the town’s center, 650 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 Tall Timber’s climate
What is the weather like in Tall Timber?
A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 21°, and about 93 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 56% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 66% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Tall Timber in winter?
January nights average 21°. About 133 nights a year reach 32° or below and 4 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 27°.
How much snow does Tall Timber get?
About 93 inches in a normal winter at Boulder 1.6 S, CO, most of it in February.
How hot does it get in Tall Timber?
July, with a typical high of 83° and a low of 56°. About 28 days a year reach 90° (Boulder, CO).
When is the first and last frost in Tall Timber?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 6 and the first fall frost by October 5, about 151 frost-free days, at Boulder, CO.
What growing zone is Tall Timber in?
Zone 6a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −9°.
What is the best time of year to visit Tall Timber?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June, July, August and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Tall Timber getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 68% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Tall Timber.
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.