Denver Weather Averages
Denver, Colorado basks in plenty of sunshine and infrequent precipitation year round. Yet the snow season here is among the longest for major USA cities, sometimes extending from September to May.
This page gives detailed information on the annual temperature, precipitation, snow, sun, humidity, wind and storm averages for Denver. The numbers here are historical averages based on climate data gathered in the Denver community of Stapleton.
Temperature
| 66 °F | annual average high | 19 °C |
| 37 °F | annual average low | 3 °C |
Denver's coldest days of the year usually occur in late December when the daily maximum temperature averages 45 degrees Fahrenheit (7 degrees Celsius) and the minimum averages 17 °F (-9 °C).
The year's hottest days are normally in mid July. The temperature peaks then with average daily highs of 91 °F (33 °C) and nighttime lows of 60 °F (16 °C).
| 163 days | 70 °F max. or more (21 °C) |
| 156 days | 32 °F min. or less (0 °C) |
Denver averages 42 days a year when the thermometer reaches into the 90s °F (over 32 °C). The temperature climbs above 100 °F (38 °C) usually for two days a year. Typically on 21 days annually the mercury remains below freezing for the entire day.
The thermometer dips to 10 °F (-12 °C) or below on 19 nights a year. Normally five of those see the temperature descend to 0 °F (-18 °C) or even colder.
Precipitation
| 15.4 in | total precipitation | 390 mm |
| 84 days | of rain or snowfall |
May is usually the wettest month of the year in Denver, while January and February are the driest.
Snow
| 49.0 in | total snowfall | 124 cm |
| 31 days | with new snow |
Most years, it snows in Denver from October to May.
The snow accumulated on the ground amounts to an inch (2.5 cm) or more on 43 days annually but usually just one or two days top 10 inches (25 cm).
Sun
| 69 % | sunshine |
| 115 days | clear skies |
The sun's rays reach the ground in Denver during 69 percent of daylight hours on average year round, for a total of 3073 hours annually. Typically on 115 days a year the sky is mainly clear, with at most 30 percent cloud cover.
Sunlight in Denver averages 12 hours and 12 minutes a day. The shortest days of the year in mid December have 9 hours and 21 minutes of daylight. The year's longest days in mid June last 14:59 from sunrise to sunset.
Humidity
| 52 % | average humidity |
The annual average for relative humidity in Denver ranges throughout the day from 67 percent at 5:00 am to 34 percent at 2:00 pm.
| Local Time | 2 am | 5 am | 8 am | 11 am | 2 pm | 5 pm | 8 pm | 11 pm |
| Humidity % | 65 | 67 | 56 | 40 | 34 | 40 | 53 | 61 |
Wind
| 8.7 mph | wind speed average | 14.0 kph |
April is usually the windiest month for Denver, while the wind is calmest during October.
Storms
| 2 days | precipitation of 1 inch (25 mm) or more |
| 2 days | snowfall of 5 inches (13 cm) or more |
| 41 days | with thunderstorms a year |
Denver averages 16 days a year when it snows at least an inch (2.5 cm). In some years, one of those days produces 10 inches (25 cm) or more of new snow.
Thunderstorms usually appear over Denver from April to October.
Reference
The weather data here are long-term averages provided by the US National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI). Temperature and precipitation are 1991-2020 normals while humidity and thunderstorms are 1961-1990 normals.