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Weather by month

Rocky Mountain 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 Estes Park 3 SSE (east entrance) (7,812 ft, 2.5 mi from Beaver Meadows Visitor Center) — with Grand Lake (west entrance) below, because the park's weather changes with elevation.
Jul high
80°F
hottest month
Feb low
16°F
coldest month
Rain + snowmelt
17.4in / yr
wettest: Jul
Snowfall
104.0in / yr
Oct–May
Days ≥ 90°F
2/ yr
Nights ≤ 32°F
184/ yr

Estes Park 3 SSE (east entrance)

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 37°F, low 16°F, 0.8 in precipitation37°16°January: 0.8 in precipitationJFebruary: average high 38°F, low 16°F, 0.7 in precipitation38°16°February: 0.7 in precipitationFMarch: average high 45°F, low 21°F, 1.6 in precipitation45°21°March: 1.6 in precipitationMApril: average high 52°F, low 26°F, 2.3 in precipitation52°26°April: 2.3 in precipitationAMay: average high 61°F, low 35°F, 2.3 in precipitation61°35°May: 2.3 in precipitationMJune: average high 74°F, low 43°F, 1.4 in precipitation74°43°June: 1.4 in precipitationJJuly: average high 80°F, low 48°F, 2.5 in precipitation80°48°July: 2.5 in precipitationJAugust: average high 78°F, low 46°F, 1.7 in precipitation78°46°August: 1.7 in precipitationASeptember: average high 70°F, low 39°F, 1.6 in precipitation70°39°September: 1.6 in precipitationSOctober: average high 57°F, low 30°F, 1.1 in precipitation57°30°October: 1.1 in precipitationONovember: average high 44°F, low 24°F, 0.7 in precipitation44°24°November: 0.7 in precipitationNDecember: average high 36°F, low 16°F, 0.7 in precipitation36°16°December: 0.7 in precipitationDrain
MonthHighLowRainSnowWet daysSunriseSunsetDaylightCrowds
Jan37°16°0.8″9.8″67:24 AM5:00 PM9h 37m15
Feb38°16°0.7″13.3″96:56 AM5:37 PM10h 41m14
Mar45°21°1.6″18.8″97:15 AM7:09 PM11h 54m19
Apr52°26°2.3″19.3″106:25 AM7:41 PM13h 16m21
May61°35°2.3″9.5″125:47 AM8:12 PM14h 25m40
Jun74°43°1.4″—95:32 AM8:34 PM15h 02m79
Jul80°48°2.5″—145:46 AM8:32 PM14h 47m100
Aug78°46°1.7″—136:14 AM8:01 PM13h 47m85
Sep70°39°1.6″0.5″96:44 AM7:13 PM12h 29m75
Oct57°30°1.1″9.1″77:13 AM6:24 PM11h 10m50
Nov44°24°0.7″11.0″66:49 AM4:46 PM9h 57m19
Dec36°16°0.7″12.7″77:18 AM4:37 PM9h 19m16

Sweet spot: May 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.

Also measured at

Grand Lake (west entrance)

The west side of Trail Ridge Road. 8,720 ft, 0 mi from Kawuneeche Visitor Center.
MonthHighLowRainSnowWet days
Jan30°5°1.6″30.6″15
Feb34°6°1.5″25.1″13
Mar42°14°1.2″17.6″12
Apr49°21°1.6″17.1″11
May59°28°1.6″5.3″12
Jun71°34°1.4″0.4″11
Jul76°40°2.0″—14
Aug73°38°2.1″—15
Sep68°32°1.6″0.4″12
Oct55°23°1.3″7.4″10
Nov40°13°1.3″22.5″11
Dec30°5°1.5″28.5″14

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 (we chose Estes Park 3 SSE (east entrance) because it is Beaver Meadows / Fall River entrances). 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 Rocky Mountain 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.Rocky Mountain National Park — Weather (nps.gov) · National Park Service
  3. 3.Rocky Mountain National Park — Visitor Use Statistics · National Park Service (IRMA)

FAQ

Rocky Mountain weather questions

What is the hottest month at Rocky Mountain?
July, with an average high of 80°F and an average low of 48°F at Estes Park 3 SSE (east entrance) (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). The station averages 2 days a year at or above 90°F.
How cold does Rocky Mountain get in winter?
February is the coldest month, averaging a low of 16°F and a high of 38°F at Estes Park 3 SSE (east entrance). About 184 nights a year drop to freezing or below.
Does it snow at Rocky Mountain?
Yes. Estes Park 3 SSE (east entrance) averages 104.0 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 Rocky Mountain?
July is the wettest month on average (2.5 inches of precipitation at Estes Park 3 SSE (east entrance)); the station's annual total is 17.4 inches.
How many hours of daylight does Rocky Mountain get?
About 15h 02m on June 15 and 9h 19m on December 15 (sunrise 5:32 AM, sunset 8:34 PM in June; 7:18 AM to 4:37 PM in December, America/Denver time).
What is the best month to visit Rocky Mountain for weather?
By NOAA's normals, average highs sit between 55°F and 85°F in May, June, July, August, September and October. Of those, May and October are also well below the park's peak crowds. Weather in the park varies with elevation; this is the Estes Park 3 SSE (east entrance) station.

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