Colorado Climate – June 2026 Update
Top 5 Cities: Denver, Colorado Springs, Aurora, Fort Collins, and Lakewood
This month in numbers
Colorado experienced its 6th warmest April–June period on record, with an average temperature of 12.78°C, a significant 1.7°C above the 1961–1990 baseline. June 2026 itself was the 11th warmest June on record, at 18.67°C, which is 2.3°C above average. Precipitation for June was notably low, ranking as the 66th driest June on record with only 20.83 mm, a deficit of 20 mm compared to the baseline. The April–June period also saw below-average rainfall, ranking 64th driest with 32.01 mm, 11.9 mm less than the average. Globally, land temperatures for June 2026 ranked as the 3rd warmest on record, and the April–June period was the 2nd warmest.
What changed
Colorado's consistently warm temperatures over the past three months, particularly the 6th warmest April–June on record, stand in contrast to a national picture that also saw above-average temperatures but not with the same extreme ranking. The state's 12-month rolling anomaly places it as the 10th warmest out of 234 regions, indicating a significant long-term warming trend. This persistent warmth, coupled with significantly reduced precipitation, has exacerbated drought conditions across nearly all of Colorado, with 99.45% of the state experiencing some level of drought as of early June. This marks a substantial increase in the Drought Severity and Coverage Index, which is more than double its value from a year ago.
What’s driving change?
The prolonged warm and dry conditions in Colorado are largely driven by a combination of factors, including the , which sees higher latitudes warming faster than tropical regions, and . The exceptionally low snowpack during the 2025-2026 winter, the lowest on record, set the stage for the current drought and heightened wildfire risk. This lack of snowmelt has led to significantly reduced streamflows, with major river basins seeing only 20-39% of normal flows in May. The state has also experienced a notable cluster of four wildfires between late June and early July, representing 100% of the annual total for the past 12 months, an unusual concentration for the region. Additionally, a flash flood event occurred in late June, with an overnight storm dumping up to 6 inches of rain in some areas, causing significant flooding and rockslides. Governor Jared Polis declared a statewide drought emergency on June 4, 2026, in response to the worsening conditions.
Generated by Gemini from climate data and web sources
At a Glance
Temperature – Average
Climate Map – USA
Source: NOAA Climate at a Glance — US states & climate regions (tavg, pcp). Anomalies are vs the 1961–1990 baseline (temperature) or 1991–2020 (rainfall). See methodology.
Year-on-Year Trends
The 4byo Climate Helix – Colorado
Data: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. Baseline: first 30 yrs on record. Recent: last 10 yrs on record.
Colorado – Monthly Temperature – All Years
Data: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. Baseline: first 30 yrs on record. Recent: last 10 yrs on record.
Records – Colorado
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information - Anomalies vs 1901-2000 mean
Shifting Seasons
Warm / cold seasonsKöppen Dfb · ContinentalHow spring and autumn have shifted in Colorado. Spring is defined as the date monthly temperatures first rise above the long-term annual mean (7.0°C, from 1950–1979); autumn is the date they fall back below it. Temperature swings 24.3°C peak-to-peak across the year - a classic four-seasons rhythm.
Baseline vs recent monthly temperature climatology. Biggest warming: Mar (+2.2°C).
Data: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. Baseline: first 30 yrs on record. Recent: last 10 yrs on record.
Rainfall & Precipitation
Rainfall & Rain Days – Totals
Emissions & Energy
Explore
Explore Climate Data
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 headline panel also shows the long-term trend rate per decade and 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.