Photo: Nyttend · Public domainPrecipitation in Westminster trails that of 92% of U.S. towns: 16 inches a year
Midsummer highs settle at about 89°. The gap between a January night and a July afternoon is 70°. Its July heat outdoes that of 72% of U.S. towns. Garden planting can start around May 2; autumn frost returns near October 11.
A year in Westminster at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Westminster’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Westminster’s place in Colorado beside it.
What a year in Westminster feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 160 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 2 and the first by October 11. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Northglenn, CO, 2.9 miles from the city’s center point, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Westminster’s center in zone 6a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −8°. 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 55 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Broomfield 2.3 Ssw, CO, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 16 inches a year; May is the wettest month and December 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 Westminster
86% 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 Northglenn, CO.
Living with Westminster’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
160 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by May 2 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 11.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June and September. 94 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Westminster from natural hazards, hail is the largest share (35%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 13%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Westminster and its neighbors
Thornton has the coldest January nights next door (18°, 1° colder). Differences under a degree are within what the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Westminster’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Westminster, CO | 19° | 89° | 16" | 55" |
| Mapleton, UT | 18° | 91° | 17" | 66" |
| Billings, MT | 15° | 89° | 14" | 48" |
| Pocatello, ID | 19° | 87° | 15" | 64" |
| Chadron, NE | 14° | 89° | 18" | 50" |
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 Westminster averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+3.3°).
A bigger shift than in 55% 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. In a city of 116,000 people, part of the change is the city itself: pavement and buildings hold heat (the urban heat island).
How Westminster compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Westminster’s place among Colorado’s.
Westminster weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Westminster’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Broomfield 2.3 Ssw, CO. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 46° | 19° | 0.6" | 7.2" | 3 | 24° – 39° |
| February | 48° | 21° | 0.7" | 7.9" | 5 | 29° – 42° |
| March | 56° | 28° | 1.3" | 9.3" | 6 | 36° – 49° |
| April | 62° | 34° | 2.2" | 7.2" | 8 | 42° – 54° |
| May | 71° | 44° | 2.6" | 1.7" | 12 | 51° – 62° |
| June | 83° | 53° | 1.7" | 0.0" | 8 | 63° – 73° |
| July | 89° | 58° | 1.8" | 0.0" | 10 | 69° – 77° |
| August | 87° | 56° | 1.6" | 0.0" | 9 | 67° – 75° |
| September | 79° | 48° | 1.3" | 0.0" | 7 | 58° – 68° |
| October | 66° | 36° | 1.1" | 4.6" | 7 | 43° – 57° |
| November | 54° | 27° | 0.8" | 5.8" | 4 | 32° – 47° |
| December | 46° | 19° | 0.6" | 11.1" | 5 | 26° – 37° |
| Year | 66° | 37° | 16.2" | 54.8" | 84 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 32° to 47°. August is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Westminster’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 Westminster’s center.
- Snow: Broomfield 2.3 Ssw, CO.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Northglenn, CO, 2.9 miles from the city’s center point, 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 Westminster’s climate
What is the weather like in Westminster?
A typical July afternoon reaches 89°, a January night drops to 19°, and about 55 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 62% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 72% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Westminster in winter?
January nights average 19°. About 149 nights a year reach 32° or below and 4 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 24°.
How much snow does Westminster get?
About 55 inches in a normal winter at Broomfield 2.3 Ssw, CO, most of it in December.
How hot does it get in Westminster?
July, with a typical high of 89° and a low of 58°. About 53 days a year reach 90° and 6 reach 100° (Northglenn, CO).
When is the first and last frost in Westminster?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 2 and the first fall frost by October 11, about 160 frost-free days, at Northglenn, CO.
What growing zone is Westminster in?
Zone 6a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −8°.
What is the best time of year to visit Westminster?
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 Westminster getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 55% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Westminster.
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.