Weather StoryAlmanac, microseasons, and the day's weather story.

Denver, Colorado Weather

Monsoon storms drench the south. Day 14 of summer. Read this microseason across nine climate regions →

Denver weather forecast — hour by hour, 7-day outlook, NOAA radar

Denver, CO
Saturday, July 4 at 10:40 AM
83
°
Partly Cloudy
Feels like
81°
Humidity
29%
Wind
5 mph
Sunrise
11:36 PM
Sunset
2:30 PM
Denver, CO
Hour by hour · 24h
24-Hour ForecastDenver, CO: 24-hour forecast. Temperatures range from 67 to 92 degrees Fahrenheit.
L 67°H 92°
Denver, CO
7-day forecast
  1. Today
    Jul 4
    Light Drizzle
    10%
    —
    92°61°—
  2. Sunday
    Jul 5
    Overcast
    —
    —
    95°67°+3°
  3. Monday
    Jul 6
    Overcast
    —
    —
    98°68°+3°
  4. Tuesday
    Jul 7
    Light Drizzle
    37%
    —
    98°73°0°
  5. Wednesday
    Jul 8
    Light Drizzle
    44%
    —
    96°67°-2°
  6. Thursday
    Jul 9
    Overcast
    34%
    —
    96°65°0°
  7. Friday
    Jul 10
    Overcast
    11%
    —
    101°73°+5°
Denver, CO
Next 24 hours · Warm now
HOT 90°60°80°100°6a12p6p12anow 81°high 92°low 67°PRECIP %
Denver, CO
Anemometer · 24h winds · from true
NESW
From · True
SW
218° · backing 142°
Direction
SW
218°
Sustained
5
mph
Gust
6
mph
Peak 24h
26
avg 7
Beaufort · 2 · LIGHT BRZ
0
CALM
<1
1
LIGHT AIR
1–3
2
LIGHT BRZ
4–7
3
GENTLE BRZ
8–12
4
MOD BRZ
13–18
5
FRESH BRZ
19–24
6
STRONG BRZ
25–31
7
NEAR GALE
32–38
24h · sust vs gust · mph
avg 7 · pk 26 @ 9:00p
0102030MPHB1B2B3B4B5B6-21h-18h-15h-12h-9h-6h-3h-24hNOWpk 232SUSTGUST
−24h−18h−12h−6hnow
A whisper of wind — leaves barely shift on the trees.
Denver, CO
Barometer · 24h pressure · mb
STORMRAINCHANGEFAIRDRY9901000101010201030
Pressure · mb
846.4
+5.0 mb in 3h · rising rapidly · 24.99 inHg
Now
846.4
mb
3h
+5.0
mb
12h
+5.3
mb
24h
+4.3
mb
Regime · STORM
STORM
RAIN
CHANGE
FAIR
DRY
24h · Pressure · mb
range 839–847
830835840845850855-21h-18h-15h-12h-9h-6h-3h-24hNOW846.6838.9846.6
−24h−18h−12h−6hnow
The low is filling — pressure climbing out of storm territory.
Denver, CO
Air quality
62
AQI
Moderate
→-2 in 6h▲Peak ~93 @ 11 PM

AQI 62 (Moderate), driven by Ozone. Ozone at AQI 76 now. With UV 7.1 peaking around 1 PM under clear skies, surface ozone likely climbs to AQI 72 around 1 PM.

OK No precautions needed for the general population; unusually sensitive individuals may consider limiting prolonged outdoor exertion.

PM 2.5Moderate
13.9μg/m³
PM 10Good
18μg/m³
NO₂Good
5μg/m³
OzoneDRIVERUnhealthy SG
123μg/m³
UV IndexModerate
5.0

What's driving it

Ozone × UV × Sky

Ozone at AQI 76 now. With UV 7.1 peaking around 1 PM under clear skies, surface ozone likely climbs to AQI 72 around 1 PM.

Present
AQI 76
UV peak
7.1 at 1 PM
Sky at peak
clear
Projected peak
AQI 72

PM × Wind × Precip

PM2.5 at 13.9 µg/m³ (AQI 60) with a 0.79 fine-to-coarse ratio and 5 mph wind — combustion smoke trapped in calm air, not road dust.

PM2.5/PM10
0.79
Wind
light
Recent rain
0h in last 6h
Pattern
stagnant smoke

Trends

Seven days of AQI and PM2.5.

Hourly air-quality data from the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service, charted across the past and next several days. Dashed lines mark the AQI breakpoints at 50 (Good → Moderate) and 100 (Moderate → Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups).

7-DAY AQI TREND50100SATSUNMONTUEWEDTHUFRISAT7-DAY PM2.5 TREND · μg/m³340
Denver, CO
Sky cover · visibility · 24h
Cloud cover
62%
PARTLY CLOUDY
100%0%−24h−18h−12h−6hnow
Visibility
128.0mi
UNLIMITED
185 mi0 mi−24h−18h−12h−6hnow
Earth · GOES-19 ABI
Full Disk · Visible · GeoColor
GOES-19 full disk Visible · GeoColor
True-color daytime, blue/IR sandwich at night
16:40 UTC · Denver, CO · NOAA NESDIS / STAR · up to 10848 px
Continental US · GOES-19 ABI
CONUS Sector · Visible · GeoColor
GOES-19 CONUS Visible · GeoColor
Daytime true-color, blue-light/IR sandwich at night
16:40 UTC · Denver, CO · NOAA NESDIS / STAR · 5-min cadence · up to 10000 px
Denver, CO
Satellite · infrared · animated
Denver, CO
Loading IR frames…
IR · cloud-top temp© RainViewer · Carto
Denver, CO
Almanac · Saturday, July 4
If the first of July be rainy weather, 'twill rain more or less for four weeks together.
Civil dawn
5:05 AM
Sunrise
11:36 PM
Daylight
14h 54m
Sunset
2:30 PM
Civil dusk
9:04 PM
Planting note
Harvest early potatoes. Begin drying onions on the surface.
Denver, CO
The moon
Waning Gibbous
80% illuminated
Moonrise
10:54 PM
Moonset
10:08 AM
In sign
♓︎ Pisces
Denver, CO
Microseason
Jul 1–5

Monsoon storms drench the south

weather
Jan 151% of the yearDec 31

Read this microseason across nine climate regions →

Denver at a glance

  • Today vs. normal: 11°F above the seasonal normal for this latitude
  • Last frost: April 15 (climatological average for this latitude)
  • Microseason: Jul 1–5
  • Planting window: Harvest early potatoes. Begin drying onions on the surface.

ZIP codes: 80202, 80203, 80204, 80205, 80206, 80207, 80209, 80210 +35 more

16-Day Forecast — Denver

  1. Sat93°61°10%
  2. Sun95°67°5%
  3. Mon98°68°7%
  4. Tue98°73°37%
  5. Wed96°67°44%
  6. Thu96°65°34%
  7. Fri101°73°11%
  8. Sat99°66°4%
  9. Sun105°74°5%
  10. Mon107°76°18%
  11. Tue104°79°18%
  12. Wed94°69°49%
  13. Thu94°69°49%
  14. Fri92°69°48%
  15. Sat96°73°42%
  16. Sun97°74°39%

Forecast data from Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0).

Live wind & temperature near Denver

Right now in the garden

Peak growing season

As of July 4, the growing season is at its peak — frost is months away. Continue succession-planting beans and summer squash. Start fall brassicas (broccoli, cabbage, kale) from seed indoors for transplanting in late summer.

SPC Convective Outlook

Storm Prediction Center — Denver

SPC has placed Denver in the Marginal Risk category for severe thunderstorms today.

  • TODAYMRGLMarginal Risk
  • TOMORROWTSTMGeneral Thunderstorms
  • DAY 3TSTMGeneral Thunderstorms

Isolated severe storms possible. Limited threat for hail or damaging wind.

Source: NOAA / NWS Storm Prediction Center categorical convective outlook. Outlooks are re-issued multiple times per day; this page reflects the most recent SPC polygons covering the city’s coordinates.

January 1–5: Deep freeze grips the high peaks.January 6–10: Ice thickens on alpine tarns.January 11–15: Springs stir beneath locked earth.January 16–20: Grouse call from the transition zone.January 21–25: First signals of the soil's turning.January 26–31: Stream water crystallizes thick.February 1–5: The year's coldest fortnight begins.February 6–10: East wind carries a subtle promise.February 11–15: Snowmelt springs whisper beneath ice.February 16–20: Red-wing calls rise from the wetlands.February 21–25: Rain begins to trace the snowline upward.February 26–28: Mist gathers in the warming canyons.March 1–5: Grass and trees stir from their sleep.March 6–10: Hibernators break through frozen ground.March 11–15: First blooms open to the spring sun.March 16–20: Mountain bluebirds return to the summits.March 21–25: Spring equinox at the divide.March 26–31: Aspen catkins burst in clusters.April 1–5: Thunderstorms rumble over granite peaks.April 6–10: Swallows and swifts slice the warming sky.April 11–15: Sandhill cranes call through the wetlands.April 16–20: Rainbows arch over the snowfields.April 21–25: New growth explodes across the montane.April 26–30: Last frost yields to summer growth.May 1–5: Wildflowers crest the high meadows.May 6–10: Summer monsoon clouds gather southward.May 11–15: Snowmelt crests toward the divide.May 16–20: High country wildflowers peak.May 21–25: Summer heat accelerates the growing season.May 26–31: Summer settles into the high country.June 1–5: Pikas hayfeeding in granite peaks.June 6–10: Glacier lily carpets the snowmelt.June 11–15: Paintbrush crowns the ridges.June 16–20: Thunderheads build by noon.June 21–25: Long light holds the peaks.June 26–30: Monsoon moisture drifts north.July 1–5: Monsoon storms drench the south.July 6–10: Wind builds through canyons.July 11–15: Lightning crowns every peak.July 16–20: Elk herds claim alpine meadows.July 21–25: Pika caches reach their peak.July 26–31: Monsoon pulses weaken northward.August 1–5: Summer heat breaks with monsoon.August 6–10: First frost creeps to peaks.August 11–15: Cool wind returns from north.August 16–20: Monsoon clouds gather over the peaks.August 21–25: The monsoon breaks into scattered showers.August 26–31: Summer insects thin as autumn wind rises.September 1–5: Elk descend from summer high meadows.September 6–10: Dew crystallizes on high grass at dawn.September 11–15: Hawks begin the long crossing southward.September 16–20: Equinox: darkness claims the high passes.September 21–25: Thunder retreats as the monsoon dies.September 26–30: First frost hardens the high valleys.October 1–5: October: the aspen stands reach their peak.October 6–10: Aspen gold slides downslope with the chill.October 11–15: Snow settles on the high passes.October 16–20: Elk bugling fades as rut nears its end.October 21–25: First hard frost grips the basin.October 26–31: Late rains settle into November patterns.November 1–5: Aspen canopy falls to earth.November 6–10: Granite bones emerge from cover.November 11–15: Earth begins to harden.November 16–20: Bare ranges hold silence.November 21–25: Snow returns to the peaks.November 26–30: North wind strips the landscape.December 1–5: Deep darkness settles over the ranges.December 6–10: Winter locks the high country.December 11–15: Elk withdraw to winter range.December 16–20: Ice thickens across frozen water.December 21–25: Winter solstice — the sun returns.December 26–31: The year closes in silence.🌱February 14 — First skunk-cabbage spathes thaw their way up☀️March 20 — Spring equinox — day and night balance🌸April 5 — Cherry blossoms peak in the parks🐦May 10 — Warbler migration peaks along the coast✨May 25 — First fireflies scout the meadows at dusk🌞June 21 — Summer solstice — longest day🦗July 25 — Peak cicada chorus in the afternoons🌊August 18 — Warmest sea-surface temperatures of the year🍂September 22 — Autumn equinox — the slow turn❄️October 25 — First widespread frost in the suburbs🍁November 10 — Peak leaf color across the Hudson Valley🌙December 21 — Winter solstice — longest night

Microseason · July 1–5

Monsoon storms drench the south

Monsoon established in southern Mountain West (New Mexico, southern Utah, Arizona north); afternoon downpours and lightning common.

Day 185 of 365 · Wedge 37 of 72

The solar year drawn as a wheel of 72 five-day windows. Each wedge is one microseason; the four colored arcs mark winter, spring, summer, and autumn; the small icons sit at notable phenological events. The crimson pointer creeps clockwise as the year turns.

Planting calendar

MonthPlantHarvest
January——
February——
March——
Aprillettuce, peas, spinach, radishes—
Maylettuce, peas, spinach, radishes, tomatoes, peppers, beans, squashlettuce, peas, radishes
Junetomatoes, peppers, beans, squashlettuce, peas, radishes
Julytomatoes, peppers, beans, squashtomatoes, beans, summer squash
August—tomatoes, beans, summer squash
Septemberfall brassicas, garlic (overwinter), carrotstomatoes, beans, summer squash
Octoberfall brassicas, garlic (overwinter), carrotswinter squash, tomatoes (last)
November——
December——

A year in weather

Denver's warmest month is July (~72°F mean) and its coldest is December (~25°F). Rainfall peaks in May (3.3 inches) and bottoms out in January (0.9 inches).

MonthMean tempPrecipRainy days
January25°0.9″10
February28°1.1″11
March33°1.9″15
April44°2.6″18
May55°3.3″21
June66°2.1″20
July72°2.2″23
August70°1.8″23
September63°1.4″15
October48°1.4″11
November33°1.4″12
December25°0.9″10

Regional context

In Denver, NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 normals put January near 25°F and July near 72°F — a 46°F seasonal arc — with about 21 inches of precipitation over 191 rainy or snowy days.

Precipitation in Denver runs summer-dominant: May averages 3.3 inches across 21.2 days of warm-season storms, while January drops to 0.9 inches over 10.4 rainy days of drier cool air. It is a warm-season-wet pattern Denver shares with places like Glendale, CO, Four Square Mile, CO and Derby, CO.

Once Denver passes mid-April, overnight freezes fade and kale, peas, spinach, and parsnips can be sown. Denver's heat-lovers — tomatoes, peppers, squash — hold off until Denver's frost risk clears, 10-14 days on. By mid-November, frost is back in Denver — protect or harvest anything tender. Denver's low ground holds frost later into spring than Denver's benches, which run 3-5 days ahead.

Similar climates: Glendale, CO, Four Square Mile, CO, Derby, CO, North Washington, CO, Holly Hills, CO.

Naturalist notes

Late May brings the emergence of Rocky Mountain penstemon blooms across Denver's foothills and urban landscapes.

American robins typically begin their second nesting cycle around mid-June as daylight hours reach their peak.

Frequently asked

When does it freeze in Denver?
In Denver, expect the last spring frost near mid-April; Denver's first autumn frost comes around mid-November.
What is the rainy season in Denver?
Denver sees its heaviest rain in May (around 3.3 inches), part of roughly 21 inches a year.
What is the warmest month in Denver?
The warmest stretch in Denver comes in July, around 72°F on average.
What is the coldest month in Denver?
On average December is the chilliest month in Denver, about 25°F.
When can I start a vegetable garden in Denver?
Time tomatoes in Denver for two weeks after mid-April; peas and greens start at Denver's frost line.
How many rainy days does Denver get?
Expect roughly 191 wet days a year in Denver.
What hardiness zone is Denver?
Denver sits in the USDA zone set by December lows near 25°F; the USDA ZIP tool gives the band.
What is the 10-day forecast for Denver?
Denver's extended outlook — daily high and low temperatures and precipitation chances for each upcoming day — is in the daily forecast above.
Will it rain this week in Denver?
See this week's day-by-day rain chances for Denver in the daily forecast above, and the next 24 hours in the hourly chart.
What is the weather like right now in Denver?
Current conditions for Denver and the next 24 hours — temperature, precipitation chance, and wind by the hour — are in the hourly forecast chart above.
How often is the Denver forecast updated?
The Denver forecast on this page is built from Open-Meteo weather-model data and refreshes regularly through the day.
When are sunrise and sunset in Denver?
Today's sunrise and sunset times for Denver are in the Almanac section above, along with civil dawn, civil dusk, and day length. Day length is longest near the summer solstice and shortest near the winter solstice.
How accurate is the weather forecast for Denver?
The next few days in Denver's forecast are the most reliable; accuracy declines beyond about a week as weather-model uncertainty grows.

Climate

Denver, Colorado occupies a hot desert zone, with January means near 25°F and July around 72°F — a 47°F swing.

Across the year, Denver collects about 21 inches of precipitation over roughly 191 days with measurable rain or snow.

Latitude 39.8°N gives Denver its 47°F swing, and with it the rhythm of Denver's growing season.

All cities in Colorado →

ZIP codes in Denver

  • 80264
  • 80266
  • 80230
  • 80231
  • 80236
  • 80237
  • 80235
  • 80238
  • 80239
  • 80123
  • 80249
  • 80247
  • 80246
  • 80290
  • 80293
  • 80294
  • 80218
  • 80210
  • 80212
  • 80216
  • 80221
  • 80220
  • 80223
  • 80222
  • 80224
  • 80227
  • 80219
  • 80211
  • 80209
  • 80207
  • 80206
  • 80205
  • 80204
  • 80202
  • 80203
  • 80208
  • 80217
  • 80243
  • 80248
  • 80250
  • 80256
  • 80257
  • 80259
  • 80261
  • 80265
  • 80271
  • 80273
  • 80274
  • 80281
  • 80291
  • 80299

Climate normals from the Open-Meteo Climate API. Köppen approximation from NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Regions. See methodology for data sources, editorial rules, and corrections. Maintainer: Brian Tighe.