Colorado Climate
Top 5 Cities: Denver, Colorado Springs, Aurora, Fort Collins, and Lakewood
This month in numbers
Colorado experienced its warmest February to April period on record, with an average temperature of 6.17°C, an anomaly of +4.7°C compared to the 1961–1990 baseline. This marks the 1st warmest such period in 77 years of records. Maximum temperatures for the same three-month period also ranked 1st, reaching 14.44°C, a significant +5.6°C above average. April 2026 itself was the 10th warmest April on record, with an average temperature of 7.72°C, which is +1.8°C above the baseline. Precipitation for the February to April period was notably low, ranking 73rd of 77 years on record, with only 21.08 mm, a deficit of 13.2 mm.
What changed
Colorado's exceptionally warm February–April period stands out, with the state ranking 4th warmest among 234 regions globally for this three-month anomaly. This regional warming trend is significantly higher than the national average for the US, which also experienced a warmer-than-average April (+1.9°C anomaly). The state's snowpack was at record-low levels by the end of April, and the Water Year 2026 remains the warmest on record by a large margin. This lack of snow and persistent warmth has led to widespread drought conditions, with 97% of the state experiencing moderate or severe drought as of late April.
What’s driving change?
The record-breaking warmth and dryness in Colorado are being driven by a combination of factors, including the , which sees higher-latitude regions warming faster than the tropics, and , where arid soils cannot cool themselves through evaporation, intensifying heat. March saw record heat across the Colorado River Basin, severely impacting snowpack, which peaked at its earliest date and lowest level on record. This has contributed to an unusual concentration of extreme weather events, with four wildfires, two drought events, and one flood event recorded in Colorado over the past month, representing 100% of the annual total for each type of event. The state is facing a "significantly increased risk" of wildfires this summer, particularly in June and July.
Looking ahead
The NOAA Climate Prediction Center's outlook for June-July-August 2026 indicates an increased probability of above-normal temperatures for Colorado.
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.