Upper Witter Gulch gets about 141 inches of snow a winter, more than all but 72 U.S. towns
July afternoons average 78°. Summers stay cool: July afternoons here are cooler than in 96% of U.S. towns. Compared with 1901–2000, the average now sits 1.3° higher. Seedlings are safe outdoors from about May 30, with the first autumn frost due around September 19.
A year in Upper Witter Gulch at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Upper Witter Gulch’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Upper Witter Gulch’s place in Colorado beside it.
What a year in Upper Witter Gulch feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 112 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 30 and the first by September 19. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Georgetown, CO, 15 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Upper Witter Gulch’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°
About 141 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Golden 3sw, CO, falls mostly in April. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 21 inches a year; April is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 104 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Upper Witter Gulch
Nearly all of the work is heating: a normal year has almost no cooling days. 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 Georgetown, CO.
Living with Upper Witter Gulch’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
112 frost-free days in zone 5b. The last frost comes by May 30 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 19.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July and August. 0.1 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Upper Witter Gulch from natural hazards, avalanches are the largest share (70%). Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Upper Witter Gulch and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Upper Witter Gulch yet.
Climates most like Upper Witter Gulch’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Upper Witter Gulch, CO | 15° | 78° | 21" | 141" |
| Park City, UT | 18° | 81° | 23" | 153" |
| Lewistown, MT | 12° | 82° | 18" | 112" |
| South Lake Tahoe, CA | 22° | 81° | 19" | 179" |
| Traverse City, MI | 17° | 79° | 32" | 101" |
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 Upper Witter Gulch averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+3.1°).
A smaller shift than in 52% 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 Upper Witter Gulch compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Upper Witter Gulch’s place among Colorado’s.
Upper Witter Gulch weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Upper Witter Gulch’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Golden 3sw, CO. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 39° | 15° | 0.8" | 15.7" | 6 | 22 | 21° – 33° |
| February | 40° | 16° | 1.0" | 21.6" | 8 | 19 | 22° – 35° |
| March | 47° | 22° | 2.0" | 19.9" | 7 | 13 | 29° – 41° |
| April | 52° | 27° | 2.7" | 29.9" | 10 | 8 | 35° – 45° |
| May | 61° | 35° | 2.7" | 8.5" | 13 | 3 | 43° – 52° |
| June | 73° | 43° | 1.8" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 54° – 63° |
| July | 78° | 49° | 2.5" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 60° – 67° |
| August | 76° | 47° | 2.4" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 58° – 65° |
| September | 69° | 40° | 1.6" | 0.3" | 7 | 0 | 49° – 59° |
| October | 58° | 30° | 1.4" | 8.5" | 7 | 4 | 37° – 49° |
| November | 46° | 22° | 1.0" | 9.7" | 5 | 6 | 26° – 40° |
| December | 39° | 15° | 0.8" | 26.4" | 6 | 18 | 21° – 32° |
| Year | 57° | 30° | 20.6" | 140.5" | 104 | 92 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 26° to 40°. July is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Upper Witter Gulch’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 Upper Witter Gulch’s center.
- Snow: Golden 3sw, CO.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Georgetown, CO, 15 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 Upper Witter Gulch’s climate
What is the weather like in Upper Witter Gulch?
A typical July afternoon reaches 78°, a January night drops to 15°, and about 141 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 83% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 96% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Upper Witter Gulch in winter?
December nights average 15°. About 210 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 21°.
How much snow does Upper Witter Gulch get?
About 141 inches in a normal winter at Golden 3sw, CO, most of it in April, with snow on the ground about 92 days a year.
How hot does it get in Upper Witter Gulch?
July, with a typical high of 78°. 90° days are rare: none in a normal year at Georgetown, CO.
When is the first and last frost in Upper Witter Gulch?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 30 and the first fall frost by September 19, about 112 frost-free days, at Georgetown, CO.
What growing zone is Upper Witter Gulch 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 Upper Witter Gulch?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), June, July and August. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Upper Witter Gulch getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.3° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 52% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Upper Witter Gulch.
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.