Estes Park, CO climate
Estes Park has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers, with very little rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 79°, a January night drops to 11°, and about 118 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Estes Park feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Estes Park 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 | 37° | 11° | 0.8" | 9.5" | 7 | 19° – 30° |
| February | 38° | 12° | 0.8" | 14.9" | 10 | 21° – 31° |
| March | 45° | 18° | 1.6" | 16.9" | 9 | 26° – 38° |
| April | 51° | 24° | 2.5" | 26.2" | 11 | 32° – 43° |
| May | 61° | 32° | 2.7" | 13.4" | 13 | 40° – 50° |
| June | 72° | 39° | 1.7" | 0 | 9 | 52° – 61° |
| July | 79° | 45° | 2.1" | 0 | 15 | 58° – 67° |
| August | 76° | 43° | 2.0" | 0 | 13 | 56° – 63° |
| September | 69° | 36° | 1.7" | 0.6" | 8 | 47° – 56° |
| October | 57° | 27° | 1.2" | 11.3" | 8 | 35° – 47° |
| November | 45° | 19° | 1.0" | 10.8" | 7 | 24° – 39° |
| December | 37° | 12° | 0.7" | 14.4" | 9 | 18° – 29° |
| Year | 55° | 27° | 18.6" | 118.0" | 119 |
“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 Estes Park
Estes Park gets 19 inches of rain and melted snow a year. May is the wettest month and December the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 119 days a year.
About 109 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 30 and the first one by September 17. That leaves about 109 frost-free days for gardens, shorter than 98% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Estes Park
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Estes Park, 99% of that work is heating and 1% 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 Estes Park 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 Estes Park averaged 1.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+3.4°). The shift is larger than in 82% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Estes Park’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 24° to 39°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Common questions about Estes Park’s climate
What is the coldest month in Estes Park?
January, with a typical high of 37° and a low of 11°.
What is the hottest month in Estes Park?
July, with a typical high of 79° and a low of 45°. About 2 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Estes Park get?
About 118 inches in a normal winter, most of it in April.
When is the first frost in Estes Park?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by September 17, and the last spring frost by May 30.
What is the rainiest month in Estes Park?
May, with 2.7 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 19 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Estes Park itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Estes Park 1.8 S, CO (2 mi, snow) and Estes Park 3 Sse, CO (1 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.