Derry Mining Site Camp · Photo: Donald J Holmgren · CC BY-SA 4.0Twin Lakes gets about 154 inches of snow a winter, more than all but 51 U.S. towns
In July the day’s top temperature is typically 76°. Summers stay cool: July afternoons here are cooler than in 98% of U.S. towns. Warming shows here too: 0.9° more than in 1901–2000, led by March. Tender plants can go out after about June 16; in half of years the first frost comes by September 10.
A year in Twin Lakes at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Twin Lakes’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Twin Lakes’ place in Colorado beside it.
What a year in Twin Lakes feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 85 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by June 16 and the first by September 10. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Twin Lakes Reservoir, CO, 1.8 miles from the town’s center, 250 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Twin Lakes’ center in zone 5a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −19°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
About 154 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Leadville 1.4 Wnw, CO, falls mostly in April and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 12 inches a year; August is the wettest month and November the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 130 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Twin Lakes
Nearly all of the work is heating: a normal year has almost no cooling days. 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 Twin Lakes Reservoir, CO.
Living with Twin Lakes’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
85 frost-free days in zone 5a. The last frost comes by Jun 16 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 10.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: July and August. 4.7 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Twin Lakes from natural hazards, avalanches are the largest share (66%). Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Twin Lakes and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Twin Lakes yet.
Climates most like Twin Lakes’, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Twin Lakes, CO | 4° | 76° | 12" | 154" |
| Jackson, WY | 6° | 80° | 19" | 78" |
| Lewistown, MT | 12° | 82° | 18" | 112" |
| Ishpeming, MI | 5° | 77° | 33" | 197" |
| Park City, UT | 18° | 81° | 23" | 153" |
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 Twin Lakes averaged 0.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.5°).
A smaller shift than in 84% 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 Twin Lakes compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Twin Lakes’ place among Colorado’s.
Twin Lakes weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Twin Lakes’ center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Leadville 1.4 Wnw, CO. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 33° | 4° | 0.6" | 20.7" | 12 | 12° – 24° |
| February | 35° | 5° | 0.6" | 19.9" | 15 | 15° – 27° |
| March | 42° | 13° | 0.9" | 21.8" | 13 | 22° – 34° |
| April | 49° | 21° | 1.2" | 24.9" | 12 | 30° – 40° |
| May | 59° | 29° | 1.3" | 12.3" | 10 | 39° – 48° |
| June | 71° | 35° | 0.8" | 0.5" | 7 | 49° – 57° |
| July | 76° | 41° | 1.6" | 0.0" | 14 | 55° – 61° |
| August | 73° | 40° | 1.8" | 0.0" | 13 | 54° – 59° |
| September | 66° | 33° | 1.1" | 2.8" | 8 | 45° – 53° |
| October | 54° | 24° | 0.9" | 10.9" | 8 | 34° – 45° |
| November | 42° | 15° | 0.6" | 16.5" | 9 | 21° – 35° |
| December | 33° | 5° | 0.6" | 23.6" | 12 | 13° – 25° |
| Year | 53° | 22° | 12.1" | 153.9" | 130 |
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 35°. August is the most reliable, staying within 5°.
Where Twin Lakes’ 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 Twin Lakes’ center.
- Snow: Leadville 1.4 Wnw, CO.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Twin Lakes Reservoir, CO, 1.8 miles from the town’s center, 250 ft lower; 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 Twin Lakes’ climate
What is the weather like in Twin Lakes?
A typical July afternoon reaches 76°, a January night drops to 4°, and about 154 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than all but 145 U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 98% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Twin Lakes in winter?
January nights average 4°. About 240 nights a year reach 32° or below and 32 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 12°.
How much snow does Twin Lakes get?
About 154 inches in a normal winter at Leadville 1.4 Wnw, CO, most of it in April and December.
How hot does it get in Twin Lakes?
July, with a typical high of 76°. 90° days are rare: none in a normal year at Twin Lakes Reservoir, CO.
When is the first and last frost in Twin Lakes?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by June 16 and the first fall frost by September 10, about 85 frost-free days, at Twin Lakes Reservoir, CO.
What growing zone is Twin Lakes in?
Zone 5a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −19°.
What is the best time of year to visit Twin Lakes?
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 Twin Lakes getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 84% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Twin Lakes.
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.