Bayfield, CO climate
Bayfield has cold, snowy winters and warm summers, with very little rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 87°, a January night drops to 13°, and about 93 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Bayfield feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Bayfield 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 | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 41° | 13° | 1.5" | 24.3" | 8 | 26 | 19° – 34° |
| February | 45° | 18° | 1.5" | 24.9" | 9 | 24 | 25° – 38° |
| March | 54° | 25° | 1.1" | 6.9" | 6 | 10 | 34° – 44° |
| April | 62° | 30° | 0.9" | 3.9" | 5 | 1 | 41° – 50° |
| May | 71° | 37° | 1.0" | 1.7" | 9 | 1 | 49° – 58° |
| June | 83° | 45° | 0.6" | 0 | 4 | 0 | 59° – 68° |
| July | 87° | 53° | 1.7" | 0 | 13 | 0 | 65° – 74° |
| August | 84° | 51° | 2.2" | 0 | 13 | 0 | 65° – 72° |
| September | 77° | 44° | 2.1" | 0 | 9 | 0 | 55° – 64° |
| October | 65° | 33° | 1.5" | 0.8" | 8 | 0 | 44° – 53° |
| November | 51° | 23° | 1.4" | 5.9" | 6 | 4 | 30° – 43° |
| December | 41° | 15° | 1.5" | 25.0" | 9 | 20 | 20° – 33° |
| Year | 63° | 32° | 16.9" | 93.4" | 97 | 88 |
“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 Bayfield
Bayfield gets 17 inches of rain and melted snow a year. August is the wettest month and June the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 97 days a year. Snow covers the ground about 88 days of the year.
About 116 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by June 1 and the first one by September 27. That leaves about 116 frost-free days for gardens, shorter than 98% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Bayfield
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Bayfield, 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 Bayfield 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 Bayfield averaged 1.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.8°). The shift is larger than in 80% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Bayfield’s spot on NOAA’s grid
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average, and real years wander around it. January swings the most: between 1991 and 2020 its average temperature ranged from 19° to 34°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Common questions about Bayfield’s climate
What is the coldest month in Bayfield?
January, with a typical high of 41° and a low of 13°.
What is the hottest month in Bayfield?
July, with a typical high of 87° and a low of 53°. About 22 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Bayfield get?
About 93 inches in a normal winter, most of it in December.
When is the first frost in Bayfield?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by September 27, and the last spring frost by June 1.
What is the rainiest month in Bayfield?
August, with 2.2 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 17 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Bayfield itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Bayfield 6.2 N, CO (6 mi, snow) and Durango La Plata Co Airport, CO (11 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.