Vail gets about 189 inches of snow a winter, more than all but 22 U.S. towns
July afternoons average 73°. Summers stay cool: July afternoons here are cooler than in almost every U.S. town. Warming shows here too: 1.3° more than in 1901–2000, led by March. Tender plants can go out after about June 21; in half of years the first frost comes by September 7.
A year in Vail at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Vail’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Vail’s place in Colorado beside it.
What a year in Vail feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 77 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by June 21 and the first by September 7. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Vail, CO, 0.5 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Vail’s center in zone 5a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −15°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
About 189 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Vail, CO, is heaviest from January through February, about 36 inches a month. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 23 inches a year; April is the wettest month and June the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 117 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Vail
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 Vail, CO.
Living with Vail’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
77 frost-free days in zone 5a. The last frost comes by Jun 21 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 7.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: July and August. 7.6 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Vail from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (51%). Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Vail and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Vail yet.
Climates most like Vail’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vail, CO | 10° | 73° | 23" | 189" |
| Ishpeming, MI | 5° | 77° | 33" | 197" |
| Incline Village, NV | 22° | 73° | 38" | 179" |
| Snyderville, UT | 18° | 80° | 26" | 153" |
| Minocqua, WI | 3° | 77° | 33" | 99" |
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 Vail averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+3.1°).
A smaller shift than in 54% 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 Vail compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Vail’s place among Colorado’s.
Vail weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Vail’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Vail, CO. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 29° | 10° | 2.1" | 35.3" | 12 | 14° – 25° |
| February | 32° | 12° | 2.2" | 35.7" | 12 | 17° – 29° |
| March | 40° | 17° | 2.2" | 28.2" | 10 | 23° – 35° |
| April | 47° | 24° | 2.5" | 21.2" | 9 | 30° – 40° |
| May | 56° | 32° | 2.1" | 4.8" | 9 | 40° – 48° |
| June | 67° | 40° | 1.3" | 0.6" | 7 | 50° – 58° |
| July | 73° | 45° | 1.7" | 0.0" | 10 | 54° – 62° |
| August | 70° | 44° | 1.7" | 0.0" | 11 | 54° – 60° |
| September | 63° | 37° | 1.8" | 0.9" | 9 | 45° – 54° |
| October | 51° | 27° | 1.8" | 8.6" | 7 | 34° – 44° |
| November | 38° | 18° | 2.0" | 25.9" | 10 | 19° – 35° |
| December | 29° | 10° | 1.8" | 28.0" | 11 | 14° – 24° |
| Year | 50° | 26° | 23.2" | 189.2" | 117 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 19° to 35°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Vail’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 Vail’s center.
- Snow: Vail, CO (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Vail, CO, 0.5 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 Vail’s climate
What is the weather like in Vail?
A typical July afternoon reaches 73°, a January night drops to 10°, and about 189 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 94% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than all but 121 U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Vail in winter?
January nights average 10°. About 248 nights a year reach 32° or below and 25 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 14°.
How much snow does Vail get?
About 189 inches in a normal winter at Vail, CO, heaviest from January through February, about 36 inches a month.
How hot does it get in Vail?
July, with a typical high of 73°. 90° days are rare: none in a normal year at Vail, CO.
When is the first and last frost in Vail?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by June 21 and the first fall frost by September 7, about 77 frost-free days, at Vail, CO.
What growing zone is Vail in?
Zone 5a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −15°.
What is the best time of year to visit Vail?
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 Vail getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.3° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 54% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Vail.
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.