Photo: Fitchhollister · CC BY-SA 3.0Telluride’s winters are colder and snowier than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 72°, a January night drops to 10°, and about 76 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Telluride at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Telluride’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Telluride’s place in Colorado beside it.
What a year in Telluride feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 76 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Placerville 3se, CO, falls mostly in January, February, March and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 24 inches a year; August is the wettest month and June the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 99 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Living with Telluride’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
Zone 5a.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: July and August. 15 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Telluride from natural hazards, avalanches are the largest share (57%). Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Telluride and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Telluride yet.
Climates most like Telluride’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Telluride, CO | 10° | 72° | 24" | 76" |
| Anchorage, AK | 6° | 67° | 23" | 59" |
| Superior, WI | 6° | 76° | 30" | 56" |
| Marquette, MI | 11° | 76° | 32" | 102" |
| Duluth, MN | 5° | 76° | 30" | 56" |
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 Telluride averaged 2.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+3.5°).
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 Telluride compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Telluride’s place among Colorado’s.
Telluride weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Telluride’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Placerville 3se, CO. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 35° | 10° | 1.9" | 13.1" | 8 | 16° – 28° |
| February | 37° | 12° | 2.0" | 12.5" | 8 | 19° – 30° |
| March | 43° | 17° | 2.2" | 13.2" | 9 | 26° – 35° |
| April | 48° | 24° | 2.1" | 9.3" | 9 | 32° – 42° |
| May | 57° | 32° | 1.8" | 1.3" | 7 | 40° – 48° |
| June | 68° | 40° | 0.9" | 0.1" | 5 | 49° – 58° |
| July | 72° | 46° | 2.4" | 0.0" | 10 | 55° – 62° |
| August | 69° | 44° | 2.6" | 0.0" | 14 | 54° – 60° |
| September | 64° | 38° | 2.4" | 0.3" | 10 | 46° – 54° |
| October | 53° | 29° | 2.0" | 2.6" | 7 | 37° – 45° |
| November | 42° | 19° | 1.9" | 10.2" | 6 | 23° – 38° |
| December | 34° | 11° | 1.9" | 13.6" | 8 | 17° – 29° |
| Year | 52° | 27° | 24.1" | 76.2" | 99 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 23° to 38°. August is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Telluride’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 Telluride’s center.
- Snow: Placerville 3se, CO.
- 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 Telluride’s climate
What is the weather like in Telluride?
A typical July afternoon reaches 72°, a January night drops to 10°, and about 76 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 93% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than all but 116 U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Telluride in winter?
January nights average 10°. About 249 nights a year reach 32° or below and 40 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 16°.
How much snow does Telluride get?
About 76 inches in a normal winter at Placerville 3se, CO, most of it in January, February, March and December.
How hot does it get in Telluride?
July, with a typical high of 72°. 90° days are rare.
What growing zone is Telluride 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 Telluride?
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 Telluride 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 Telluride.
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.