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United States › Colorado › Rio Grande County › Climate Station MONTE VISTA 2W, CO US Distance 16 mi Normals 1991–2020

30-year climate normals

Rio Grande County Climate and Weather Averages

Hottest month — July

80.1°

average daily high. The coldest month is January, averaging a low of -2.2°F.

Rio Grande County gets 9.23" of precipitation a year and 35.4" of snow, and 46% of it falls in Jul, Aug, Sep.

Temperature through the year

Each bar spans the average daily low to the average daily high for that month.

0° 20° 40° 60° 80° JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
MonthAvg highAvg low PrecipSnow
January 33.1° -2.2° 0.40" 6.0"
February 39.6° 5.0° 0.32" 4.5"
March 51.5° 15.8° 0.66" 6.5"
April 58.8° 22.2° 0.66" 4.8"
May 67.1° 31.4° 0.81" 1.2"
June 77.2° 38.3° 0.50" 0.0"
July 80.1° 44.9° 1.48" 0.0"
August 77.8° 43.3° 1.64" 0.0"
September 72.5° 34.8° 1.11" 0.0"
October 61.6° 23.2° 0.83" 2.8"
November 48.1° 11.7° 0.41" 3.9"
December 34.5° -0.1° 0.41" 5.7"

Rainfall by month

Rio Grande County has a distinct wet season. 46% of the year's precipitation arrives in Jul, Aug, Sep.

January 0.40"
February 0.32"
March 0.66"
April 0.66"
May 0.81"
June 0.50"
July 1.48"
August 1.64"
September 1.11"
October 0.83"
November 0.41"
December 0.41"
Annual total 9.23"

What this climate costs you

Degree days measure how hard a building has to work to stay comfortable. They are the reason two identical houses have very different power bills, and they are the link between the weather here and what you pay every month.

Cooling degree days How much air conditioning the climate demands 15
Heating degree days How much heating the climate demands 8,950
Approximate annual cooling cost At 16.16¢/kWh, Colorado average $2
Approximate annual electric heating cost Lower where heating is gas rather than electric $506

These are rough planning figures from degree days and the state electricity price, not a bill estimate. House size, insulation and fuel type move them a lot. See the full cost of owning a home in Rio Grande County, where electricity is one line of eight.

Common questions

What is the weather like in Rio Grande County?

Rio Grande County averages a high of 80.1°F in July and a low of -2.2°F in January. Annual precipitation is 9.23 inches, including 35.4 inches of snow.

When is the rainy season in Rio Grande County?

The wettest stretch is Jul, Aug, Sep, which accounts for 46% of the year's precipitation. That is a pronounced wet season rather than rain spread evenly through the year.

How hot does it get in Rio Grande County?

The average daily high in July, the hottest month, is 80.1°F. That drives 15 cooling degree days a year, which is what your air conditioning has to work against.

Does it snow in Rio Grande County?

Yes. Rio Grande County averages 35.4 inches of snow a year.

Sources

  • Temperature, precipitation and snowfall normals — NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, 1991–2020 Monthly Climate Normals, station MONTE VISTA 2W, CO US (USC00055706), 16 miles from the county centroid.
  • Heating and cooling degree days — NOAA, same station and period.
  • Electricity price — US Energy Information Administration, Electric Power Monthly Table 5.6.A, Colorado residential average.
  • Wet-season share is the wettest three consecutive months as a percentage of annual precipitation, calculated from the monthly normals.