Photo: Jeffrey Beall · CC BY 4.0Watkins’ winters are colder and snowier than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 88°, a January night drops to 17°, and about 49 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Watkins at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Watkins’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Watkins’ place in Colorado beside it.
What a year in Watkins feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 156 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 5 and the first by October 9. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Denver International Airport, 10 miles from the town’s center, 250 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Watkins’ center in zone 6a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −9°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
90° days by month
Average days at 90° or more
About 49 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Denver-stapleton, CO, falls mostly in March. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 16 inches a year; May is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 84 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Watkins
87% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from October through April.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Denver International Airport.
Living with Watkins’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
156 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by May 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 Oct 9.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June and September. 12 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Watkins from natural hazards, hail is the largest share (33%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 4%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Watkins and its neighbors
Aurora the hottest July afternoons (89°, 1° warmer). Differences under a degree are within what the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Watkins’, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Watkins, CO | 17° | 88° | 16" | 49" |
| Laurel, MT | 15° | 88° | 14" | 48" |
| Spring Creek, NV | 15° | 89° | 14" | 41" |
| Pocatello, ID | 19° | 87° | 15" | 64" |
| Alliance, NE | 13° | 88° | 17" | 45" |
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value. Snow and frost-free days come from the nearest weather station, so neighbors often share them.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Watkins averaged 1.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+3.5°).
A bigger shift than in 60% 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 Watkins compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Watkins’ place among Colorado’s.
Watkins weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Watkins’ center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Denver-stapleton, CO. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 44° | 17° | 0.4" | 6.4" | 5 | 10 | 20° – 37° |
| February | 45° | 19° | 0.5" | 7.6" | 6 | 9 | 27° – 39° |
| March | 54° | 26° | 1.1" | 8.8" | 7 | 4 | 33° – 47° |
| April | 60° | 32° | 1.9" | 6.2" | 8 | 2 | 40° – 52° |
| May | 69° | 42° | 2.5" | 1.4" | 11 | 0 | 49° – 60° |
| June | 82° | 51° | 2.0" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 62° – 73° |
| July | 88° | 57° | 2.3" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 68° – 76° |
| August | 85° | 56° | 2.1" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 66° – 75° |
| September | 78° | 47° | 1.2" | 0.8" | 6 | 0 | 57° – 67° |
| October | 64° | 35° | 1.0" | 3.9" | 5 | 2 | 41° – 56° |
| November | 52° | 25° | 0.7" | 7.3" | 6 | 5 | 29° – 46° |
| December | 43° | 17° | 0.5" | 6.6" | 5 | 10 | 24° – 35° |
| Year | 64° | 35° | 16.0" | 49.0" | 84 | 43 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 29° to 46°. July is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Watkins’ 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 Watkins’ center.
- Snow: Denver-stapleton, CO.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Denver International Airport, 10 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 Watkins’ climate
What is the weather like in Watkins?
A typical July afternoon reaches 88°, a January night drops to 17°, and about 49 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 73% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 65% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Watkins in winter?
December nights average 17°. About 156 nights a year reach 32° or below and 6 reach 0° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 24°.
How much snow does Watkins get?
About 49 inches in a normal winter at Denver-stapleton, CO, most of it in March, with snow on the ground about 43 days a year.
How hot does it get in Watkins?
July, with a typical high of 88° and a low of 57°. About 46 days a year reach 90° and 2 reach 100° (Denver International Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Watkins?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 5 and the first fall frost by October 9, about 156 frost-free days, at Denver International Airport.
What growing zone is Watkins in?
Zone 6a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −9°.
What is the best time of year to visit Watkins?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Watkins getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.5° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 60% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Watkins.
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.