Denver, CO Climate & Monthly Averages
Denver has a semi-arid climate. July is the hottest month, averaging 88° by day; January is the coldest at 41°.
Winter sets the pace in Denver
Denver spends most of the year cold. July, the warmest month, averages 88°F (31°C) by day - a figure many cities in our dataset pass in early spring - while January holds at 41°F (5°C) with 78 wet days a year across the whole calendar.
July
88° by day 60° at nightJanuary
41° by day 15° at nightThe cold-weather pattern in numbers
January bottoms out at 41°F (5°C) in daylight, 15°F (-9°C) after dark. July is the warm end of the year, averaging 88°F (31°C) by day and 60°F (16°C) overnight. The gridded 2015-2024 daily record for this location tops out at 101°F (38°C) and bottoms at -34°F (-36°C) - decade extremes, not all-time station records. Relative humidity averages 54% across the year, drier than all but 9% of the 3496 cities in our dataset.
May is the wettest month at 3.9 inches (98 mm) over 13 days; December is the driest. July is the brightest month at 12.8 hours of sun a day, against an annual average of 10.3 - sunnier than roughly 75% of the cities we track. Between the average July and the average January lie 26°C, a wider spread than roughly 89% of the cities we track.
More climate facts for Denver
- Hottest month: July - highs near 88°F (31°C)
- Coldest month: January - highs near 41°F (5°C)
- Decade extremes (2015-2024): 101°F (38°C) high · -34°F (-36°C) low
- Wettest month: May (13 rainy days) · Sunniest: July (12.8 h sun/day)
- Climate type: semi-arid
- Annual swing: 26°C between the average warmest and coolest month · day to night: 15°C
- Snow: about 26 days a year
- Months averaging 30°C or hotter: 2
- Average humidity: 54%
From snow season to the warmest stretch in Denver
Spring (March through May)
Through spring, Denver is mild: 60°F (16°C) by day, 33°F (0°C) after dark, and expect showers on roughly 29 days across the season, plus about 9 snowy days. Daylight is generous - around 10.6 hours of sun a day.
Summer (June through August)
Summer in Denver runs hot, with daytime highs averaging 86°F (30°C) and nights around 58°F (14°C); expect showers on roughly 21 days across the season. Daylight is generous - around 12.5 hours of sun a day.
Fall (September through November)
Fall runs cool rather than cold here - highs near 67°F (19°C), nights near 39°F (4°C), and rain comes on about 14 days over the three months, plus about 6 snowy days.
Winter (December through February)
Winter in Denver is brisk and cold, with daytime highs averaging 43°F (6°C) and nights around 17°F (-8°C); rain comes on about 15 days over the three months, plus about 12 snowy days.
The coldest and warmest values in the dataset
Derived from ERA5 reanalysis data, 2015–2024. Official station records may differ. Need another precipitation unit? Use the rainfall converter.
Planning around winter in Denver
The easier weather window
Aim for September to October and April if you get the choice: temperatures sit either side of the peak heat rather than in it, and highs average 73°F (23°C) against roughly 6 wet days a month. For the same question asked the other way round, see where else is warm in September.
Cold-weather packing
Pack for Denver with light clothing for the warm months, a heavy insulated coat, hat and gloves for winter, rain gear if you travel around May and a mid-layer for the evenings, which fall away fast after sunset. July nights average 60°F (16°C), so evenings rarely match the afternoons.
Monthly highs, lows and seasonal change
| Month | High | Low | Rain days | Precipitation | Sunshine | Daylight | Wet-day chance | Humidity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 41° | 15° | 5 | 0.9 in | 7.9 h/day | 9.6 h | 16% | 63% |
| February | 43° | 15° | 6 | 1.2 in | 9.0 h/day | 10.6 h | 21% | 61% |
| March | 52° | 24° | 8 | 1.9 in | 10.0 h/day | 11.8 h | 26% | 58% |
| April | 61° | 33° | 8 | 1.9 in | 10.6 h/day | 13.2 h | 28% | 53% |
| May | 68° | 42° | 13 | 3.9 in | 11.3 h/day | 14.3 h | 41% | 60% |
| June | 83° | 55° | 7 | 1.7 in | 12.7 h/day | 15.0 h | 22% | 49% |
| July | 88° | 60° | 7 | 1.3 in | 12.8 h/day | 14.7 h | 23% | 47% |
| August | 87° | 59° | 7 | 1.3 in | 12.1 h/day | 13.7 h | 22% | 47% |
| September | 82° | 52° | 4 | 0.7 in | 11.0 h/day | 12.4 h | 12% | 43% |
| October | 66° | 38° | 5 | 1.1 in | 9.5 h/day | 11.1 h | 16% | 50% |
| November | 52° | 26° | 5 | 0.9 in | 8.4 h/day | 9.9 h | 17% | 56% |
| December | 44° | 20° | 4 | 0.6 in | 7.9 h/day | 9.4 h | 12% | 56% |
The route from winter to summer, month by month
Each card shows the average high and low. The bar places that month between Denver's coldest night and warmest afternoon.
January
- Rain
- 5 days
- Sunshine
- 7.9 h
- Daylight
- 9.6 h
- Snow
- 4 days
February
- Rain
- 6 days
- Sunshine
- 9.0 h
- Daylight
- 10.6 h
- Snow
- 5 days
March
- Rain
- 8 days
- Sunshine
- 10.0 h
- Daylight
- 11.8 h
- Snow
- 5 days
April
- Rain
- 8 days
- Sunshine
- 10.6 h
- Daylight
- 13.2 h
- Snow
- 3 days
May
- Rain
- 13 days
- Sunshine
- 11.3 h
- Daylight
- 14.3 h
- Snow
- 1 day
June
- Rain
- 7 days
- Sunshine
- 12.7 h
- Daylight
- 15.0 h
July
- Rain
- 7 days
- Sunshine
- 12.8 h
- Daylight
- 14.7 h
August
- Rain
- 7 days
- Sunshine
- 12.1 h
- Daylight
- 13.7 h
September
- Rain
- 4 days
- Sunshine
- 11.0 h
- Daylight
- 12.4 h
October
- Rain
- 5 days
- Sunshine
- 9.5 h
- Daylight
- 11.1 h
- Snow
- 2 days
November
- Rain
- 5 days
- Sunshine
- 8.4 h
- Daylight
- 9.9 h
- Snow
- 4 days
December
- Rain
- 4 days
- Sunshine
- 7.9 h
- Daylight
- 9.4 h
- Snow
- 3 days
Looking for warmer alternatives? Browse warm places by month, or compare Denver's coolest part of the year: January, February, December.
Where Denver sits among other climates
- Afternoons run 15°C above the following night - a bigger day-to-night gap than any other city in our 3496-city dataset.
- Denver averages 49°F (10°C) across the year - cooler than all but 9% of the 3496 cities we track.
These comparisons use the same ten-year window for every city in the dataset.