Sunshine, CO climate
Sunshine has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers, with very little rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to 19°, and about 184 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Sunshine feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Sunshine 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 | 42° | 19° | 0.5" | 15.8" | 9 | 31 | 26° – 36° |
| February | 42° | 20° | 0.7" | 28.0" | 12 | 29 | 26° – 38° |
| March | 49° | 26° | 1.4" | 29.9" | 12 | 29 | 32° – 44° |
| April | 56° | 31° | 2.3" | 34.9" | 13 | 19 | 37° – 49° |
| May | 65° | 39° | 2.7" | 17.9" | 16 | 6 | 46° – 56° |
| June | 76° | 47° | 1.9" | 0.1" | 10 | 0 | 57° – 67° |
| July | 82° | 54° | 2.2" | 0 | 15 | 0 | 64° – 72° |
| August | 80° | 52° | 2.0" | 0 | 14 | 0 | 62° – 69° |
| September | 73° | 45° | 1.6" | 0.7" | 10 | 1 | 53° – 63° |
| October | 60° | 34° | 1.1" | 18.1" | 10 | 8 | 41° – 53° |
| November | 49° | 26° | 0.8" | 13.5" | 8 | 19 | 29° – 45° |
| December | 42° | 19° | 0.5" | 24.6" | 11 | 29 | 24° – 35° |
| Year | 60° | 34° | 17.6" | 183.5" | 140 | 169 |
“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 Sunshine
Sunshine gets 18 inches of rain and melted snow a year. May is the wettest month and December the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 140 days a year. Snow covers the ground about 169 days of the year.
About 120 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 24 and the first one by September 23. That leaves about 120 frost-free days for gardens, shorter than 97% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Sunshine
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Sunshine, 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 Sunshine 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 Sunshine averaged 1.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+3.0°). The shift is smaller than in 52% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Sunshine’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 29° to 45°. August is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Common questions about Sunshine’s climate
What is the coldest month in Sunshine?
January, with a typical high of 42° and a low of 19°.
What is the hottest month in Sunshine?
July, with a typical high of 82° and a low of 54°. About 3 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Sunshine get?
About 184 inches in a normal winter, most of it in April.
When is the first frost in Sunshine?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by September 23, and the last spring frost by May 24.
What is the rainiest month in Sunshine?
May, with 2.7 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 18 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Sunshine itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Ward 4.6 Ne, CO (5 mi, snow) and Gross Rsvr, 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.