Erie, CO climate
Erie has chilly, snowy winters and warm summers, with very little rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 89°, a January night drops to 18°, and about 65 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Erie feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Erie 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 | 46° | 18° | 0.4" | 7.7" | 4 | 12 | 23° – 38° |
| February | 47° | 20° | 0.5" | 12.0" | 6 | 12 | 29° – 41° |
| March | 56° | 28° | 1.0" | 10.2" | 6 | 6 | 36° – 49° |
| April | 63° | 34° | 1.9" | 9.1" | 9 | 3 | 42° – 54° |
| May | 72° | 43° | 2.3" | 2.4" | 11 | 1 | 52° – 61° |
| June | 84° | 52° | 1.5" | 0 | 8 | 0 | 64° – 73° |
| July | 89° | 58° | 1.6" | 0 | 9 | 0 | 70° – 77° |
| August | 87° | 56° | 1.5" | 0 | 9 | 0 | 67° – 75° |
| September | 79° | 48° | 1.2" | 0 | 7 | 0 | 58° – 68° |
| October | 66° | 36° | 1.0" | 5.2" | 7 | 2 | 43° – 57° |
| November | 54° | 26° | 0.7" | 6.9" | 5 | 5 | 31° – 47° |
| December | 46° | 18° | 0.4" | 11.5" | 5 | 14 | 25° – 36° |
| Year | 66° | 36° | 14.1" | 65.0" | 85 | 57 |
“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 Erie
Erie gets 14 inches of rain and melted snow a year. May is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 85 days a year. Snow covers the ground about 57 days of the year.
About 155 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 3 and the first one by October 7. That leaves about 155 frost-free days for gardens, shorter than 76% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Erie
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Erie, 89% of that work is heating and 11% 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.
Erie and its neighbors
Erie borders 4 towns with climate data. January nights across them vary by 3.1°. Frederick has both the coldest January nights (16°) and the hottest July afternoons (90°). Erie’s January low is 18° and its July high 89°.
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value.
How Erie 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 Erie averaged 1.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+3.4°). The shift is larger than in 75% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Erie’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 31° to 47°. July is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Common questions about Erie’s climate
What is the coldest month in Erie?
January, with a typical high of 46° and a low of 18°.
What is the hottest month in Erie?
July, with a typical high of 89° and a low of 58°. About 49 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Erie get?
About 65 inches in a normal winter, most of it in February.
When is the first frost in Erie?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 7, and the last spring frost by May 3.
What is the rainiest month in Erie?
May, with 2.3 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 14 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Erie itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Lafayette 0.4 Wsw, CO (5 mi, snow) and Brighton 3 Se, CO (13 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.