Photo: Hustvedt · CC BY-SA 3.0Ward gets about 184 inches of snow a winter, more than all but 30 U.S. towns
A typical July afternoon reaches 73°, a January night drops to 16°, and about 184 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Ward at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Ward’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Ward’s place in Colorado beside it.
What a year in Ward feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 103 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by June 5 and the first by September 16. Day counts come from NOAA’s station at Boulder 14 W, CO, 2.9 miles from the town’s center, 270 ft higher; frost dates and degree days from Coal Creek Canyon, CO, 14 miles away.
The 2023 USDA map puts Ward’s center in zone 5b: 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 184 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Ward 4.6 Ne, CO, falls mostly in April. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 23 inches a year; April is the wettest month and December the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 140 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Ward
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 Coal Creek Canyon, CO.
Living with Ward’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
103 frost-free days in zone 5b. The last frost comes by Jun 5 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 16.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July and August.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Ward from natural hazards, avalanches are the largest share (53%). Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Ward and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Ward yet.
Climates most like Ward’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ward, CO | 16° | 73° | 23" | 184" |
| Incline Village, NV | 22° | 73° | 38" | 179" |
| Petoskey, MI | 16° | 76° | 35" | 124" |
| Snyderville, UT | 18° | 80° | 26" | 153" |
| South Lake Tahoe, CA | 22° | 81° | 19" | 179" |
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 Ward averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+3.2°).
A bigger shift than in 50% 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 Ward compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Ward’s place among Colorado’s.
Ward weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Ward’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Ward 4.6 Ne, CO. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 32° | 16° | 1.1" | 15.8" | 9 | 31 | 19° – 29° |
| February | 34° | 15° | 1.4" | 28.0" | 12 | 29 | 20° – 31° |
| March | 41° | 20° | 2.3" | 29.9" | 12 | 29 | 25° – 37° |
| April | 46° | 25° | 3.3" | 34.9" | 13 | 19 | 30° – 41° |
| May | 56° | 33° | 2.9" | 17.9" | 16 | 6 | 39° – 48° |
| June | 67° | 40° | 1.8" | 0.1" | 10 | 0 | 50° – 58° |
| July | 73° | 46° | 2.4" | 0.0" | 15 | 0 | 56° – 64° |
| August | 70° | 45° | 2.3" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 54° – 61° |
| September | 63° | 39° | 1.8" | 0.7" | 10 | 1 | 46° – 55° |
| October | 51° | 30° | 1.5" | 18.1" | 10 | 8 | 34° – 45° |
| November | 40° | 22° | 1.3" | 13.5" | 8 | 19 | 22° – 38° |
| December | 32° | 15° | 1.1" | 24.6" | 11 | 29 | 17° – 29° |
| Year | 50° | 29° | 23.0" | 183.5" | 140 | 169 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 22° to 38°. July is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Ward’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 Ward’s center.
- Snow: Ward 4.6 Ne, CO.
- Frost dates, heating and cooling: Coal Creek Canyon, CO, 14 miles away.
- Freezing nights, 90° and 100° days: Boulder 14 W, CO, 2.9 miles from the town’s center, 270 ft higher; 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 Ward’s climate
What is the weather like in Ward?
A typical July afternoon reaches 73°, a January night drops to 16°, and about 184 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 82% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than all but 121 U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Ward in winter?
December nights average 15°. About 244 nights a year reach 32° or below and 18 reach 0° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 17°.
How much snow does Ward get?
About 184 inches in a normal winter at Ward 4.6 Ne, CO, most of it in April, with snow on the ground about 169 days a year.
How hot does it get in Ward?
July, with a typical high of 73°. 90° days are rare: none in a normal year at Coal Creek Canyon, CO.
When is the first and last frost in Ward?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by June 5 and the first fall frost by September 16, about 103 frost-free days, at Coal Creek Canyon, CO.
What growing zone is Ward in?
Zone 5b 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 Ward?
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 Ward getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 50% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Ward.
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.