Ken Caryl, CO climate
Ken Caryl has chilly, snowy winters and warm summers, with very little rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 88°, a January night drops to 19°, and about 130 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Ken Caryl feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Ken Caryl 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 | 47° | 19° | 0.6" | 15.0" | 6 | 29 | 25° – 38° |
| February | 48° | 20° | 0.7" | 16.9" | 7 | 28 | 29° – 41° |
| March | 57° | 27° | 1.4" | 26.5" | 8 | 25 | 36° – 48° |
| April | 62° | 33° | 2.2" | 25.1" | 10 | 18 | 42° – 53° |
| May | 71° | 43° | 2.5" | 5.8" | 12 | 3 | 51° – 61° |
| June | 83° | 52° | 1.7" | 0 | 11 | 0 | 63° – 72° |
| July | 88° | 58° | 1.9" | 0 | 13 | 0 | 70° – 77° |
| August | 86° | 56° | 1.9" | 0 | 15 | 0 | 67° – 74° |
| September | 79° | 48° | 1.4" | 1.2" | 9 | 1 | 58° – 67° |
| October | 66° | 35° | 1.2" | 7.4" | 7 | 4 | 43° – 56° |
| November | 55° | 26° | 0.9" | 14.8" | 6 | 16 | 32° – 48° |
| December | 47° | 18° | 0.6" | 17.0" | 6 | 24 | 26° – 36° |
| Year | 66° | 36° | 16.9" | 129.7" | 110 | 148 |
“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 Ken Caryl
Ken Caryl gets 17 inches of rain and melted snow a year. May is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 110 days a year. Snow covers the ground about 148 days of the year.
About 160 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 2 and the first one by October 11. That leaves about 160 frost-free days for gardens, shorter than 71% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Ken Caryl
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Ken Caryl, 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.
Ken Caryl and its neighbors
Ken Caryl borders 2 towns with climate data. January nights across them vary by 0.3°. Dakota Ridge has the coldest January nights (19°) and Columbine the hottest July afternoons (89°). Ken Caryl’s January low is 19° and its July high 88°.
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value.
How Ken Caryl 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 Ken Caryl averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+3.3°). The shift is larger than in 64% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Ken Caryl’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 32° to 48°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Common questions about Ken Caryl’s climate
What is the coldest month in Ken Caryl?
December, with a typical high of 47° and a low of 18°.
What is the hottest month in Ken Caryl?
July, with a typical high of 88° and a low of 58°. About 33 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Ken Caryl get?
About 130 inches in a normal winter, most of it in March.
When is the first frost in Ken Caryl?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 11, and the last spring frost by May 2.
What is the rainiest month in Ken Caryl?
May, with 2.5 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 17 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Ken Caryl itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Inter Canyon, CO (6 mi, snow) and Marston Fltr Plt, CO (4 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.