Cathedral, CO climate
Cathedral has cold, snowy winters and cool summers, with very little rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 75°, a January night drops to 1°, and about 55 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Cathedral feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Cathedral 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 | 32° | 1° | 1.4" | 9.0" | 4 | 10° – 22° |
| February | 35° | 4° | 1.6" | 10.1" | 5 | 15° – 27° |
| March | 43° | 13° | 1.7" | 9.6" | 5 | 24° – 33° |
| April | 50° | 21° | 1.8" | 5.7" | 5 | 31° – 41° |
| May | 60° | 29° | 1.6" | 1.3" | 4 | 39° – 49° |
| June | 71° | 36° | 0.8" | 0 | 5 | 49° – 58° |
| July | 75° | 42° | 2.1" | 0 | 12 | 55° – 63° |
| August | 73° | 41° | 2.2" | 0 | 14 | 54° – 61° |
| September | 67° | 34° | 2.0" | 0.2" | 9 | 46° – 54° |
| October | 56° | 24° | 1.7" | 3.8" | 5 | 35° – 45° |
| November | 43° | 13° | 1.6" | 8.1" | 4 | 20° – 35° |
| December | 32° | 2° | 1.4" | 7.2" | 4 | 12° – 24° |
| Year | 53° | 22° | 19.7" | 55.0" | 76 |
“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 Cathedral
Cathedral gets 20 inches of rain and melted snow a year. August is the wettest month and June the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 76 days a year.
About 101 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by June 8 and the first one by September 17. That leaves about 101 frost-free days for gardens, shorter than 99% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Cathedral
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Cathedral, 100% of that work is heating and 0% 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 Cathedral 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 Cathedral averaged 1.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+3.1°). The shift is larger than in 78% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Cathedral’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 20° to 35°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Common questions about Cathedral’s climate
What is the coldest month in Cathedral?
January, with a typical high of 32° and a low of 1°.
What is the hottest month in Cathedral?
July, with a typical high of 75° and a low of 42°.
How much snow does Cathedral get?
About 55 inches in a normal winter, most of it in February.
When is the first frost in Cathedral?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by September 17, and the last spring frost by June 8.
What is the rainiest month in Cathedral?
August, with 2.2 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 20 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Cathedral itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Hermit 8 Se, CO (23 mi, snow) and Lake City, CO (16 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.