CKW Bridge over Powder River · Photo: Clayton B. Fraser · Public domainPrecipitation in Arvada trails that of 94% of U.S. towns: 14 inches a year
In January the night’s low is typically 10°. From frosty January to warm July, readings climb 79°. Winter nights are cold: in January they are colder than in 94% of U.S. towns. The heating season runs October to April: each of those months averages under 50°.
A year in Arvada at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Arvada’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Arvada’s place in Wyoming beside it.
What a year in Arvada feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 137 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 14 and the first by September 30. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Leiter 9n, WY, 15 miles from the town’s center, 390 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Arvada’s center in zone 4b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −23°. 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 53 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Leiter 9n, WY, falls mostly in January and March. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 14 inches a year; May is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 87 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Arvada
92% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from October through May.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Leiter 9n, WY.
Living with Arvada’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
137 frost-free days in zone 4b. The last frost comes by May 14 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 30.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June and September.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Arvada from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (53%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 8%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Arvada and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Arvada yet.
Climates most like Arvada’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arvada, WY | 10° | 89° | 14" | 53" |
| Preston, ID | 14° | 89° | 15" | 52" |
| Carbondale, CO | 11° | 88° | 13" | 39" |
| Alliance, NE | 13° | 88° | 17" | 45" |
| Hyde Park, UT | 14° | 89° | 16" | 44" |
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 Arvada averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+4.1°).
A bigger shift than in 53% 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 Arvada compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Arvada’s place among Wyoming’s.
Arvada weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Arvada’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Leiter 9n, WY. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 35° | 10° | 0.4" | 9.1" | 7 | 22 | 13° – 34° |
| February | 39° | 13° | 0.5" | 7.7" | 6 | 15 | 10° – 36° |
| March | 50° | 23° | 0.8" | 8.6" | 8 | 7 | 25° – 47° |
| April | 58° | 31° | 1.5" | 7.7" | 9 | 2 | 39° – 49° |
| May | 67° | 40° | 2.5" | 1.2" | 10 | 0 | 48° – 60° |
| June | 79° | 49° | 2.2" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 58° – 71° |
| July | 89° | 56° | 1.4" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 63° – 78° |
| August | 88° | 54° | 0.8" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 66° – 76° |
| September | 77° | 44° | 1.1" | 0.4" | 5 | 0 | 55° – 66° |
| October | 61° | 31° | 1.3" | 4.2" | 8 | 2 | 37° – 53° |
| November | 46° | 20° | 0.5" | 6.4" | 6 | 8 | 21° – 43° |
| December | 35° | 11° | 0.5" | 8.1" | 6 | 16 | 12° – 29° |
| Year | 60° | 32° | 13.6" | 53.4" | 87 | 72 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 10° to 36°. August is the most reliable, staying within 10°.
Where Arvada’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 Arvada’s center.
- Snow: Leiter 9n, WY.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Leiter 9n, WY, 15 miles from the town’s center, 390 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 Arvada’s climate
What is the weather like in Arvada?
A typical July afternoon reaches 89°, a January night drops to 10°, and about 53 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 94% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 72% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Arvada in winter?
January nights average 10°. About 168 nights a year reach 32° or below and 15 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 13°.
How much snow does Arvada get?
About 53 inches in a normal winter at Leiter 9n, WY, most of it in January and March, with snow on the ground about 72 days a year.
How hot does it get in Arvada?
July, with a typical high of 89° and a low of 56°. About 39 days a year reach 90° and 5 reach 100° (Leiter 9n, WY).
When is the first and last frost in Arvada?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 14 and the first fall frost by September 30, about 137 frost-free days, at Leiter 9n, WY.
What growing zone is Arvada in?
Zone 4b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −23°.
What is the best time of year to visit Arvada?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), June and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Arvada getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 53% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Arvada.
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.