Colorado Climate
Top 5 Cities: Denver, Colorado Springs, Aurora, Fort Collins, and Lakewood
This month in numbers
Colorado experienced its warmest March on record in 2026, with an average temperature of 8.22°C, an anomaly of +7.2°C compared to the 1961–1990 baseline. This also marked the warmest January–March period on record, with an average temperature of 3.04°C, an anomaly of +5.1°C. Maximum temperatures in March were also unprecedented, reaching 17.11°C, an anomaly of +8.9°C, making it the warmest March for maximum temperatures on record. Conversely, precipitation for March was significantly low, ranking as the 76th driest of 77 years on record with only 11.43 mm, a deficit of 27 mm. The January–March period also saw historically low precipitation, ranking 75th of 77 years with 16.43 mm, a deficit of 13.1 mm.
What changed
Colorado's exceptionally warm and dry start to the year stands in stark contrast to the national picture, where the contiguous United States experienced a March anomaly of +3.3°C, significantly cooler than Colorado's +7.2°C. Globally, land temperatures in April 2026 ranked as the 2nd warmest on record, with an anomaly of +1.1°C. Colorado's March average temperature anomaly of +7.21°C placed it as the 3rd warmest of 234 regions worldwide for the month, part of a striking pattern where all top 10 warmest regions were US states. The January-March average temperature anomaly of +5.08°C ranked Colorado as the 4th warmest globally for that 3-month period, with 9 of the top 10 warmest regions again being US states. The state's snowpack levels in March were reported to be among the lowest in 40 years, with many basins at 10–35% of normal, and a melt-off typically seen in May occurring in April.
What’s driving change?
The unprecedented warmth in Colorado this past month was driven by an exceptional heat dome that built over the region in mid-March, leading to record-shattering temperatures. This intense and long-lasting heat was well ahead of what would normally be expected for March. The current ENSO state is Neutral, with an anomaly of +0.11°C. However, the NOAA CPC forecast indicates a strong likelihood of an El Niño developing in the coming months, with a 61% chance for May-Jul and a 79% chance for Jun-Aug. Colorado is currently experiencing significant drought conditions, with two drought events active since August 2025, representing 100% of the annual total for the past 12 months, an unusual concentration. This has led to Stage 1 water restrictions in several Colorado towns, including Denver and Arvada, due to historically low snowpack levels. Additionally, one flood event was recorded in April 2026, also representing 100% of the annual total for the past 12 months. More information on these events can be found at Extreme Weather tracker.
Looking ahead
With a strong El Niño phase forecast to develop in the coming months, Colorado could typically expect warmer and drier conditions, which may exacerbate the ongoing drought and low snowpack issues.
Generated by Gemini from climate data and web sources
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Data Sources
Data Sources for Colorado
Every figure on this page is sourced from official, openly published climate datasets. Anomalies are calculated against the 1961–1990 baseline (temperature) and 1991–2020 (rainfall, sunshine, frost) — see the Methodology & Sources page for the complete dataset list and update calendar.
FAQs
FAQs
How is the climate in Colorado changing?
Colorado is warming in line with the rest of the world. The page above shows the latest monthly temperature anomaly versus the 1961-1990 baseline, the long-term annual trend, and the region's rank in the historical record. The trend rate is shown as °C per decade in the headline panel; you can also see the warmest and coolest years on file.
Where does the climate data for Colorado come from?
Climate data for Colorado comes from NOAA Climate at a Glance (temperature and precipitation), refreshed every month, when the upstream temperature and rainfall data are refreshed.
What is the climate baseline used on this page?
Anomalies on this page are calculated against the 1961-1990 climatological baseline, which is the standard reference period used by the Met Office, NOAA, IPCC and most national climate services. Some panels also show the source-native 1901-2000 (NOAA) or 1991-2020 (WMO) baselines for verification. See Methodology & Sources for the full reference.
Which areas does the Colorado climate data cover?
The Colorado climate profile covers Denver, Colorado Springs, Aurora, Fort Collins and surrounding areas. Colorado climate data from NOAA Climate at a Glance
How often is the Colorado climate update refreshed?
The Colorado climate update is refreshed monthly, typically a few days after the previous month closes and the upstream provider (Met Office HadUK-Grid, NOAA Climate at a Glance, Copernicus ERA5 or the Global Carbon Project) publishes its update. See the Climate Rankings for cross-region comparisons.