Denver’s winters are colder but less snowy than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 86°, a January night drops to 15°, and about 21 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Denver at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Denver’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Denver’s place in Missouri beside it.
What a year in Denver feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 172 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 24 and the first by October 14. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Grant City, MO, 8 miles from the town’s center, 220 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Denver’s center in zone 6a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −10°. 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 21 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Bethany, MO, falls mostly in January, February and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 38 inches a year; May is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 93 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Denver
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 Grant City, MO.
Living with Denver’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
172 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by Apr 24 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 14.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, June, September and October.
Parks & trails →Heat waves are 53% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Denver from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Denver and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Denver yet.
Climates most like Denver’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Denver, MO | 15° | 86° | 38" | 21" |
| Chillicothe, IL | 16° | 86° | 37" | 20" |
| Burlington, IA | 16° | 86° | 38" | 22" |
| Napoleon, OH | 19° | 85° | 36" | 25" |
| Lock Haven, PA | 19° | 86° | 41" | 30" |
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 Denver averaged 1.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.4°).
A smaller shift than in 81% 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 Denver compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Denver’s place among Missouri’s.
Denver weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Denver’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Bethany, MO. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 34° | 15° | 0.9" | 5.4" | 5 | 11 | 18° – 36° |
| February | 39° | 20° | 1.4" | 5.2" | 6 | 8 | 20° – 40° |
| March | 52° | 30° | 2.2" | 3.3" | 7 | 2 | 34° – 55° |
| April | 63° | 41° | 3.9" | 0.3" | 11 | 0 | 44° – 58° |
| May | 73° | 51° | 5.5" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 57° – 71° |
| June | 82° | 61° | 5.2" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 68° – 76° |
| July | 86° | 65° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 71° – 84° |
| August | 85° | 63° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 68° – 78° |
| September | 78° | 54° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 60° – 72° |
| October | 65° | 42° | 2.9" | 0.1" | 7 | 0 | 47° – 59° |
| November | 51° | 30° | 2.0" | 1.3" | 6 | 1 | 32° – 50° |
| December | 38° | 21° | 1.5" | 5.6" | 5 | 5 | 15° – 36° |
| Year | 62° | 41° | 37.6" | 21.2" | 93 | 27 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. March swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 34° to 55°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Denver’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 Denver’s center.
- Snow: Bethany, MO.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Grant City, MO, 8 miles from the town’s center, 220 ft higher; 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 Denver’s climate
What is the weather like in Denver?
A typical July afternoon reaches 86°, a January night drops to 15°, and about 21 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 83% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 58% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Denver in winter?
January nights average 15°. About 138 nights a year reach 32° or below and 9 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 18°.
How much snow does Denver get?
About 21 inches in a normal winter at Bethany, MO, most of it in January, February and December, with snow on the ground about 27 days a year.
How hot does it get in Denver?
July, with a typical high of 86° and a low of 65°. About 20 days a year reach 90° (Grant City, MO).
When is the first and last frost in Denver?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 24 and the first fall frost by October 14, about 172 frost-free days, at Grant City, MO.
What growing zone is Denver in?
Zone 6a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −10°.
What is the best time of year to visit Denver?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), April, May, June, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Denver getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 81% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Denver.
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.