Fort Garland, CO climate
Fort Garland has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers, with very little rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 81°, a January night drops to 9°, and about 48 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Fort Garland feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Fort Garland 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 | 38° | 9° | 0.5" | 8.1" | 5 | 17° – 30° |
| February | 42° | 13° | 0.6" | 6.2" | 5 | 22° – 35° |
| March | 51° | 21° | 0.8" | 8.5" | 6 | 32° – 41° |
| April | 58° | 26° | 1.0" | 7.9" | 6 | 37° – 47° |
| May | 67° | 34° | 1.3" | 1.7" | 7 | 46° – 56° |
| June | 78° | 43° | 0.9" | 0 | 5 | 56° – 65° |
| July | 81° | 48° | 2.1" | 0 | 10 | 62° – 69° |
| August | 79° | 47° | 2.0" | 0 | 11 | 60° – 66° |
| September | 73° | 40° | 1.4" | 0 | 7 | 51° – 60° |
| October | 62° | 29° | 1.0" | 2.8" | 5 | 41° – 50° |
| November | 49° | 19° | 0.7" | 5.6" | 4 | 25° – 41° |
| December | 39° | 10° | 0.6" | 7.0" | 5 | 18° – 31° |
| Year | 60° | 28° | 13.0" | 47.8" | 78 |
“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 Fort Garland
Fort Garland gets 13 inches of rain and melted snow a year. July is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 78 days a year.
About 117 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 25 and the first one by September 22. That leaves about 117 frost-free days for gardens, shorter than 98% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Fort Garland
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Fort Garland, 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 Fort Garland 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 Fort Garland averaged 1.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+3.4°). The shift is larger than in 80% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Fort Garland’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 25° to 41°. August is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Common questions about Fort Garland’s climate
What is the coldest month in Fort Garland?
January, with a typical high of 38° and a low of 9°.
What is the hottest month in Fort Garland?
July, with a typical high of 81° and a low of 48°. About 5 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Fort Garland get?
About 48 inches in a normal winter, most of it in March.
When is the first frost in Fort Garland?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by September 22, and the last spring frost by May 25.
What is the rainiest month in Fort Garland?
July, with 2.1 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 13 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Fort Garland itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Great Sand Dunes Np & Preserve, CO (21 mi, snow) and Blanca 4 Nw, CO (8 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.