Denver vs Salt Lake City: Weather & Climate Compared
🇺🇸 Denver, United States · 🇺🇸 Salt Lake City, United States
Warmer overall
Salt Lake City
Sunnier
Denver
More rainy days
Salt Lake City
Denver vs Salt Lake City weather right now
At this moment, Salt Lake City is the warmer of the two by 1°F (0°C).
The short answer
Salt Lake City takes the temperature crown. Averaged over all twelve months it runs 53°F (12°C), about 3.4°F (1.9°C) above Denver's 49°F (10°C).
Head to head
- Sunshine: Denver collects 10.3 hours of daily sun across the year; Salt Lake City manages 10.3.
- Rain: Salt Lake City records roughly 87 days of measurable precipitation annually; Denver sees 78.
- Snow: Salt Lake City is the snowy one, averaging about 32 snow days a year.
- Peak heat: the hottest stretch lands in July for Denver (88°F (31°C)) and July for Salt Lake City (93°F (34°C)).
- Coldest nights: January lows of 15°F (-9°C) in Denver; January lows of 22°F (-5°C) in Salt Lake City.
Denver vs Salt Lake City month by month
| Month | Denver high / low | Salt Lake City high / low | Denver rain days | Salt Lake City rain days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 41° / 15° | 38° / 22° | 5 | 11 |
| February | 43° / 15° | 42° / 25° | 6 | 9 |
| March | 52° / 24° | 52° / 31° | 8 | 12 |
| April | 61° / 33° | 60° / 37° | 8 | 10 |
| May | 68° / 42° | 69° / 46° | 13 | 9 |
| June | 83° / 55° | 84° / 58° | 7 | 3 |
| July | 88° / 60° | 93° / 67° | 7 | 2 |
| August | 87° / 59° | 90° / 64° | 7 | 3 |
| September | 82° / 52° | 80° / 56° | 4 | 4 |
| October | 66° / 38° | 64° / 42° | 5 | 6 |
| November | 52° / 26° | 49° / 31° | 5 | 8 |
| December | 44° / 20° | 38° / 23° | 4 | 10 |
Who's warmer, month by month?
The lead changes hands with the seasons: Denver is the warmer city for 8 months of the year (January through December broadly), while Salt Lake City takes over for the remaining 4. The starkest contrast comes in December, when Denver runs about 6°F (3°C) warmer; February is the great equalizer.
Sunshine, daylight and rain chance
| Month | Denver sun | Salt Lake City sun | Denver daylight | Salt Lake City daylight | Denver wet-day chance | Salt Lake City wet-day chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7.9 h | 6.8 h | 9.6 h | 9.6 h | 16% | 36% |
| February | 9.0 h | 8.2 h | 10.6 h | 10.6 h | 21% | 33% |
| March | 10.0 h | 9.3 h | 11.8 h | 11.8 h | 26% | 37% |
| April | 10.6 h | 10.9 h | 13.2 h | 13.2 h | 28% | 33% |
| May | 11.3 h | 12.4 h | 14.3 h | 14.4 h | 41% | 30% |
| June | 12.7 h | 14.0 h | 15.0 h | 15.1 h | 22% | 9% |
| July | 12.8 h | 13.8 h | 14.7 h | 14.8 h | 23% | 6% |
| August | 12.1 h | 12.5 h | 13.7 h | 13.8 h | 22% | 9% |
| September | 11.0 h | 11.5 h | 12.4 h | 12.4 h | 12% | 14% |
| October | 9.5 h | 9.5 h | 11.1 h | 11.0 h | 16% | 21% |
| November | 8.4 h | 7.9 h | 9.9 h | 9.8 h | 17% | 26% |
| December | 7.9 h | 6.7 h | 9.4 h | 9.3 h | 12% | 33% |
Seasons compared
| Months | Denver high / low | Salt Lake City high / low | Denver rain days | Salt Lake City rain days | Denver sun | Salt Lake City sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| December - February | 43° / 17° | 39° / 23° | 15 | 31 | 8.3 h | 7.2 h |
| March - May | 60° / 33° | 60° / 38° | 29 | 31 | 10.6 h | 10.9 h |
| June - August | 86° / 58° | 89° / 63° | 21 | 8 | 12.5 h | 13.4 h |
| September - November | 67° / 39° | 65° / 43° | 14 | 18 | 9.6 h | 9.6 h |
Best months for sightseeing
Counting months with average highs between 64°F and 82°F (18-28°C) and fewer than 12 wet days:
- Denver: September, October (2 months)
- Salt Lake City: May, September (2 months)
Both cities are at their most comfortable in September, the easiest window for a trip that takes in both.
Records, distance and time difference
- Denver records (2015-2024): high of 101° in June, low of -34° in January.
- Salt Lake City records (2015-2024): high of 104° in June, low of -8° in January.
- Distance: Denver and Salt Lake City are about 371 miles (597 km) apart as the crow flies.
- Time difference: the two cities share the same local time right now.
Denver vs Salt Lake City: quick answers
Is Denver warmer than Salt Lake City?
On the annual mean, Salt Lake City is the warmer city by roughly 3.4°F (1.9°C), though the margin shifts with the seasons.
Which city is sunnier, Denver or Salt Lake City?
Denver, with 10.3 hours of average daily sunshine against 10.3 in Salt Lake City.
Which city gets more rain?
Salt Lake City is the wetter city, logging about 87 rain days annually to Denver's 78.
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