Air Force Academy, CO climate
Air Force Academy has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers, with very little rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 84°, a January night drops to 14°, and about 55 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Air Force Academy feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Air Force Academy weather by month
Average highs, lows, rain and snow for every month, from NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 45° | 14° | 0.8" | 6.6" | 6 | 23° – 35° |
| February | 46° | 16° | 0.9" | 11.7" | 7 | 25° – 38° |
| March | 53° | 23° | 1.8" | 7.5" | 7 | 33° – 44° |
| April | 59° | 29° | 2.5" | 8.7" | 8 | 38° – 49° |
| May | 68° | 38° | 2.6" | 1.9" | 12 | 46° – 58° |
| June | 79° | 47° | 2.1" | 0 | 9 | 58° – 68° |
| July | 84° | 53° | 2.9" | 0 | 14 | 65° – 72° |
| August | 81° | 51° | 2.6" | 0 | 14 | 62° – 70° |
| September | 75° | 43° | 1.5" | 0 | 7 | 53° – 65° |
| October | 63° | 32° | 1.3" | 4.6" | 6 | 41° – 53° |
| November | 52° | 22° | 1.0" | 5.9" | 4 | 29° – 44° |
| December | 44° | 14° | 0.8" | 8.3" | 6 | 23° – 33° |
| Year | 62° | 32° | 20.8" | 55.2" | 99 |
“Wet days” have at least 0.01" of rain or melted snow. “Snow on ground” counts days with 1" or more. The 30-year range is the coldest and warmest that month’s average temperature got between 1991 and 2020.
Rain and snow in Air Force Academy
Air Force Academy gets 21 inches of rain and melted snow a year. July is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 99 days a year.
About 136 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 17 and the first one by October 1. That leaves about 136 frost-free days for gardens, shorter than 92% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Air Force Academy
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Air Force Academy, 96% of that work is heating and 4% is cooling, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner.
Degree days measure how far each day’s average temperature falls below or rises above 65°, added up over a year. Source: NOAA station normals.
How Air Force Academy compares
Compared with every U.S. town and city on TownTapestry, each counted once.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Air Force Academy averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+3.1°). The shift is smaller than in 58% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Air Force Academy’s spot on NOAA’s grid
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average, and real years wander around it. November swings the most: between 1991 and 2020 its average temperature ranged from 29° to 44°. July is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Common questions about Air Force Academy’s climate
What is the coldest month in Air Force Academy?
December, with a typical high of 44° and a low of 14°.
What is the hottest month in Air Force Academy?
July, with a typical high of 84° and a low of 53°. About 15 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Air Force Academy get?
About 55 inches in a normal winter, most of it in February.
When is the first frost in Air Force Academy?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 1, and the last spring frost by May 17.
What is the rainiest month in Air Force Academy?
July, with 2.9 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 21 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Air Force Academy itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Colorado Springs 5.7 Wnw, CO (6 mi, snow) and Monument 3s, CO (4 mi, frost, heat and degree days). Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000.