Idledale, CO climate
Idledale has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers, with very little rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 20°, and about 141 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Idledale feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Idledale 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 | 44° | 20° | 0.7" | 15.7" | 6 | 22 | 25° – 38° |
| February | 45° | 21° | 0.9" | 21.6" | 8 | 19 | 27° – 40° |
| March | 51° | 27° | 1.9" | 19.9" | 7 | 13 | 33° – 45° |
| April | 57° | 31° | 2.8" | 29.9" | 10 | 8 | 38° – 49° |
| May | 66° | 40° | 2.7" | 8.5" | 13 | 3 | 47° – 57° |
| June | 77° | 49° | 1.9" | 0 | 9 | 0 | 59° – 68° |
| July | 83° | 55° | 2.2" | 0 | 14 | 0 | 65° – 73° |
| August | 81° | 54° | 2.1" | 0 | 12 | 0 | 64° – 70° |
| September | 74° | 46° | 1.6" | 0.3" | 7 | 0 | 55° – 64° |
| October | 62° | 35° | 1.3" | 8.5" | 7 | 4 | 41° – 54° |
| November | 51° | 27° | 1.0" | 9.7" | 5 | 6 | 31° – 46° |
| December | 44° | 20° | 0.7" | 26.4" | 6 | 18 | 25° – 36° |
| Year | 61° | 35° | 19.9" | 140.5" | 104 | 92 |
“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 Idledale
Idledale gets 20 inches of rain and melted snow a year. April is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 104 days a year. Snow covers the ground about 92 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 Idledale
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Idledale, 90% of that work is heating and 10% 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 Idledale 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 Idledale averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+3.3°). The shift is larger than in 62% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Idledale’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 46°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Common questions about Idledale’s climate
What is the coldest month in Idledale?
January, with a typical high of 44° and a low of 20°.
What is the hottest month in Idledale?
July, with a typical high of 83° and a low of 55°. About 31 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Idledale get?
About 141 inches in a normal winter, most of it in April.
When is the first frost in Idledale?
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 Idledale?
April, with 2.8 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 20 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Idledale itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Golden 3sw, CO (4 mi, snow) and Lakewood, CO (9 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.