Wheat Ridge, CO climate
Wheat Ridge has chilly, snowy winters and warm summers, with very little rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 89°, a January night drops to 20°, and about 76 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Wheat Ridge feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Wheat Ridge 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° | 20° | 0.6" | 9.6" | 5 | 13 | 25° – 39° |
| February | 48° | 21° | 0.8" | 11.9" | 6 | 10 | 29° – 42° |
| March | 56° | 28° | 1.4" | 12.9" | 7 | 6 | 36° – 49° |
| April | 63° | 34° | 2.3" | 12.1" | 9 | 4 | 42° – 54° |
| May | 71° | 44° | 2.7" | 2.2" | 10 | 1 | 51° – 62° |
| June | 83° | 53° | 1.8" | 0 | 8 | 0 | 63° – 73° |
| July | 89° | 58° | 1.9" | 0 | 9 | 0 | 70° – 77° |
| August | 87° | 56° | 1.7" | 0 | 8 | 0 | 68° – 75° |
| September | 79° | 48° | 1.3" | 1.0" | 7 | 0 | 58° – 68° |
| October | 66° | 36° | 1.2" | 5.9" | 6 | 2 | 43° – 57° |
| November | 55° | 27° | 0.9" | 10.0" | 6 | 7 | 32° – 48° |
| December | 46° | 19° | 0.6" | 9.9" | 5 | 13 | 26° – 37° |
| Year | 66° | 37° | 17.1" | 75.5" | 87 | 55 |
“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 Wheat Ridge
Wheat Ridge gets 17 inches of rain and melted snow a year. May is the wettest month and December the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 87 days a year. Snow covers the ground about 55 days of the year.
About 151 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 5 and the first one by October 5. That leaves about 151 frost-free days for gardens, shorter than 80% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Wheat Ridge
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Wheat Ridge, 91% of that work is heating and 9% 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.
Wheat Ridge and its neighbors
Wheat Ridge borders 6 towns with climate data. January nights across them vary by 0.9°. Fairmount has the coldest January nights (19°) and Edgewater the hottest July afternoons (89°). Wheat Ridge’s January low is 20° and its July high 89°.
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value.
How Wheat Ridge 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 Wheat Ridge averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+3.4°). The shift is larger than in 64% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Wheat Ridge’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 Wheat Ridge’s climate
What is the coldest month in Wheat Ridge?
December, with a typical high of 46° and a low of 19°.
What is the hottest month in Wheat Ridge?
July, with a typical high of 89° and a low of 58°. About 39 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Wheat Ridge get?
About 76 inches in a normal winter, most of it in March.
When is the first frost in Wheat Ridge?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 5, and the last spring frost by May 5.
What is the rainiest month in Wheat Ridge?
May, with 2.7 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 17 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Wheat Ridge itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Wheat Ridge 2, CO (1 mi) away. Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000.