Denver climate
Denver (Colorado, United States) has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa). The average temperature over the year is 12 °C54 °F, and about 440 mm17 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Denver climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 745 | −424 | 135 | 170.7 |
| Feb | 847 | −524 | 235 | 210.8 |
| Mar | 1456 | −130 | 643 | 341.3 |
| Apr | 1865 | 236 | 1051 | 512.0 |
| May | 2475 | 846 | 1660 | 582.3 |
| Jun | 3188 | 1457 | 2373 | 421.7 |
| Jul | 3392 | 1864 | 2578 | 622.4 |
| Aug | 3189 | 1661 | 2475 | 522.1 |
| Sep | 2882 | 1253 | 2067 | 361.4 |
| Oct | 2067 | 439 | 1253 | 301.2 |
| Nov | 1355 | −130 | 643 | 180.7 |
| Dec | 744 | −524 | 134 | 190.7 |
| Year | 3392 | −524 | 1254 | 44017 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 55% | 56% | 2.6 | 9:39 |
| Feb | 56% | 57% | 3.5 | 10:39 |
| Mar | 52% | 55% | 4.7 | 11:50 |
| Apr | 50% | 55% | 5.8 | 13:12 |
| May | 48% | 56% | 6.5 | 14:21 |
| Jun | 41% | 46% | 7.2 | 14:58 |
| Jul | 45% | 47% | 7.0 | 14:43 |
| Aug | 46% | 47% | 6.3 | 13:43 |
| Sep | 44% | 38% | 5.4 | 12:23 |
| Oct | 48% | 44% | 4.0 | 11:04 |
| Nov | 51% | 48% | 2.9 | 9:55 |
| Dec | 56% | 56% | 2.3 | 9:22 |
Humid. = average relative humidity at 2 m; cloud = average cloud amount; solar = average daily solar energy reaching the ground in kWh/m² (all-sky); daylight in hours:minutes, calculated for the 15th of each month.
What the climate of Denver is like
The warmest month is July, with an average high of 33 °C92 °F and a low of 18 °C64 °F. The coldest is December, when highs average 7 °C44 °F and lows −5 °C24 °F. Seasons are strongly marked: the warmest month is on average 24.4 °C43.9 °F warmer than the coldest.
Annual precipitation is moderate at about 440 mm17 in. The wettest three-month stretch is May–July, which brings 37% of the annual total. Months with less than 20 mm0.8 in on average: November–January. The wettest month is July (62 mm2.4 in), the driest is January (17 mm0.7 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 41% in June to 56% in December. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 38%) are typical of September. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 8 km/h (5 mph) in August to 11 km/h (7 mph) in April. Daylight lasts from about 9.4 hours in December to 15.0 hours in June.
Best time to visit Denver
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are May and September and October: average highs of 20 °C67 °F to 28 °C82 °F with 30 mm1.2 in to 58 mm2.3 in of precipitation per month.
The most challenging month is December, which is cold, with average highs of 7 °C44 °F.
Comfort score: months are ranked by how close they come to an average high of 21–28 °C (70–82 °F), lows above 5 °C (41 °F), little precipitation and moderate humidity. The best-ranked months of each place are recommended, even where none meets all of these. These are general rules of thumb applied to long-term averages.
What to pack for Denver
- Winter (December–February) — highs 744 to 8 °C47 °F, lows −524 to −4 °C24 °F, about 19 mm0.7 in of precipitation a month. Pack a warm coat, layers and closed shoes, an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings and shoes with good grip, as frost is common.
- Spring (March–May) — highs 1456 to 24 °C75 °F, lows −130 to 8 °C46 °F, about 48 mm1.9 in of precipitation a month. Pack light layers — T-shirts plus a light sweater or jacket and an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings.
- Summer (June–August) — highs 3188 to 33 °C92 °F, lows 1457 to 18 °C64 °F, about 52 mm2.1 in of precipitation a month. Pack very light, breathable clothing, a sun hat and plenty of water and an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings.
- Autumn (September–November) — highs 1355 to 28 °C82 °F, lows −130 to 12 °C53 °F, about 28 mm1.1 in of precipitation a month. Pack light layers — T-shirts plus a light sweater or jacket and an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings.
How Denver compares
Of the 222 places in the United States covered by World Climates, Denver is the 148th warmest by annual mean temperature and the 180th wettest by annual precipitation. See all of them on the United States climate page.
Places in other countries with the most similar temperature and rainfall pattern: Sunzha (Ordzhonikidzevskaya) (Russia, Dfa), Grozny (Russia, Cfa) and Buzău (Romania, Dfa).
The same NASA POWER grid cell also contains Aurora (pop. 359,407) and Centennial (pop. 109,741). Their long-term averages in this dataset are essentially the same as for Denver, so they do not have separate pages.
Nearby places
- Lakewood 9 km · 12 °C53 °F · 440 mm17 in
- Westminster 12 km · 11 °C52 °F · 448 mm18 in
- Thornton 14 km · 11 °C53 °F · 448 mm18 in
- Boulder 39 km · 11 °C53 °F · 448 mm18 in
- Greeley 80 km · 12 °C54 °F · 450 mm18 in
- Fort Collins 94 km · 12 °C53 °F · 450 mm18 in
- Colorado Springs 102 km · 11 °C52 °F · 402 mm16 in
- Pueblo 168 km · 13 °C56 °F · 353 mm14 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Denver?
July is the warmest month in Denver, with an average high of 33 °C (92 °F) and an average low of 18 °C (64 °F).
What is the coldest month in Denver?
December is the coldest month, with an average high of 7 °C (44 °F) and an average low of -5 °C (24 °F).
When does it rain the most in Denver?
July is the wettest month with about 62 mm (2.4 in) of precipitation; January is the driest with about 17 mm (0.7 in).
What is the best time to visit Denver?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are May and September and October.
About this data
All figures are 25-year averages (January 2001 – December 2025) from the NASA POWER project. Temperature, humidity, wind and precipitation come from the MERRA-2 reanalysis (precipitation is the bias-corrected MERRA-2 product), cloud and solar values from CERES satellite data. They describe a grid cell of roughly 50–70 km, not a single weather station, so they can differ from airport records — most of all on coasts, in mountains and for rainfall. Average highs and lows are the monthly mean temperature plus/minus half of the average daily temperature range. Counts of rainy days are not part of this dataset.
The grid cell’s average elevation is 2,095 m, while Denver lies at about 1,609 m. Temperatures on this page were therefore adjusted by +3.2 °C5.7 °F using the standard lapse rate of 6.5 °C per 1,000 m.