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Weather by month

Great Sand Dunes weather, month by month

Last verified NOAA 1991–2020 normalsAmerica/Denver time
Average highs, lows, rain, snow and daylight for every month. Measured at the Great Sand Dunes NP & Preserve (8,183 ft, 0 mi from Great Sand Dunes Visitor Center).
Jul high
81°F
hottest month
Jan low
11°F
coldest month
Rain + snowmelt
12.2in / yr
wettest: Jul
Snowfall
47.8in / yr
Oct–May
Days ≥ 90°F
1/ yr
Nights ≤ 32°F
188/ yr

Great Sand Dunes NP & Preserve

Month by month

Normals are 30-year averages (1991–2020). Crowds = each month’s share of the park’s busiest month, from NPS visitor counts. Sunrise and sunset are for the 15th of each month in 2027.
Average high and low, every monthbars run from the low to the high · tan strip = precipitation
comfortable highs 55–85°F20°40°60°80°32°January: average high 33°F, low 11°F, 0.6 in precipitation33°11°January: 0.6 in precipitationJFebruary: average high 39°F, low 16°F, 0.4 in precipitation39°16°February: 0.4 in precipitationFMarch: average high 49°F, low 24°F, 0.9 in precipitation49°24°March: 0.9 in precipitationMApril: average high 56°F, low 29°F, 1.2 in precipitation56°29°April: 1.2 in precipitationAMay: average high 66°F, low 38°F, 1.2 in precipitation66°38°May: 1.2 in precipitationMJune: average high 77°F, low 48°F, 0.7 in precipitation77°48°June: 0.7 in precipitationJJuly: average high 81°F, low 52°F, 2.1 in precipitation81°52°July: 2.1 in precipitationJAugust: average high 78°F, low 50°F, 1.9 in precipitation78°50°August: 1.9 in precipitationASeptember: average high 72°F, low 44°F, 1.3 in precipitation72°44°September: 1.3 in precipitationSOctober: average high 60°F, low 33°F, 0.9 in precipitation60°33°October: 0.9 in precipitationONovember: average high 46°F, low 22°F, 0.5 in precipitation46°22°November: 0.5 in precipitationNDecember: average high 34°F, low 12°F, 0.5 in precipitation34°12°December: 0.5 in precipitationDrain
MonthHighLowRainSnowWet daysSunriseSunsetDaylightCrowds
Jan33°11°0.6″8.1″57:17 AM5:07 PM9h 50m6
Feb39°16°0.4″6.2″56:52 AM5:41 PM10h 49m8
Mar49°24°0.9″8.5″67:14 AM7:09 PM11h 55m21
Apr56°29°1.2″7.9″66:27 AM7:38 PM13h 10m28
May66°38°1.2″1.7″75:53 AM8:05 PM14h 12m76
Jun77°48°0.7″—55:40 AM8:26 PM14h 46m100
Jul81°52°2.1″—105:52 AM8:24 PM14h 32m96
Aug78°50°1.9″—116:18 AM7:56 PM13h 38m73
Sep72°44°1.3″—76:44 AM7:11 PM12h 27m53
Oct60°33°0.9″2.8″57:11 AM6:26 PM11h 15m41
Nov46°22°0.5″5.6″46:42 AM4:51 PM10h 09m14
Dec34°12°0.5″7.0″57:10 AM4:44 PM9h 34m9

Sweet spot: April, September and October combine average highs between 55°F and 85°F with crowds under 60% of the peak month. Check what is open in those months — quiet can also mean closed roads.

How to read this

These are NOAA’s official 1991–2020 climate normals for one weather station, not a model of the whole park. The station is the one with complete temperature and precipitation normals nearest to a visitor center. Highs and lows are daily averages for the month; “wet days” are days with at least 0.01 inch of precipitation. Mountain parks can be 10–20 °F cooler at their high points than at the station, and the NPS weather page for Great Sand Dunes is the place for current conditions and seasonal closures.

Sunrise and sunset are computed with the NOAA solar equations for the park’s coordinates and shown in America/Denver time for the 15th of each month of 2027; they are accurate to about a minute.

Sources · 3

  1. 1.U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 — monthly normals station inventory · National Centers for Environmental Information (NOAA)
  2. 2.Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve — Weather (nps.gov) · National Park Service
  3. 3.Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve — Visitor Use Statistics · National Park Service (IRMA)

FAQ

Great Sand Dunes weather questions

What is the hottest month at Great Sand Dunes?
July, with an average high of 81°F and an average low of 52°F at Great Sand Dunes NP & Preserve (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). The station averages 1 days a year at or above 90°F.
How cold does Great Sand Dunes get in winter?
January is the coldest month, averaging a low of 11°F and a high of 33°F at Great Sand Dunes NP & Preserve. About 188 nights a year drop to freezing or below.
Does it snow at Great Sand Dunes?
Yes. Great Sand Dunes NP & Preserve averages 47.8 inches of snow a year, mostly in January, February, March, April, May, October, November and December. Higher ground in the park gets more.
When is the rainy season at Great Sand Dunes?
July is the wettest month on average (2.1 inches of precipitation at Great Sand Dunes NP & Preserve); the station's annual total is 12.2 inches.
How many hours of daylight does Great Sand Dunes get?
About 14h 46m on June 15 and 9h 34m on December 15 (sunrise 5:40 AM, sunset 8:26 PM in June; 7:10 AM to 4:44 PM in December, America/Denver time).
What is the best month to visit Great Sand Dunes for weather?
By NOAA's normals, average highs sit between 55°F and 85°F in April, May, June, July, August, September and October. Of those, April, September and October are also well below the park's peak crowds. Weather in the park varies with elevation; this is the Great Sand Dunes NP & Preserve station.

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