There is a saying that the only thing you can count on about the weather in Denver is that you can’t count on the weather in Denver...
Denver is located in a valley just east of the Rocky Mountains. It lies at an altitude of 5280 ft which is exactly one mile above sea level and why it’s known as the Mile-High City. This high altitude results in lower humidity which results in pleasant, cool summer evenings. Given that it lies in a valley, it experiences what’s known as Chinook winds which is where warm air from the Pacific Ocean blows across and gets pushed down over the Rockies and into Denver. As a result, the weather is incredibly hard to predict and expose sudden weather changes with snow possible one day followed by temperatures in the 60s F the next.
The average highs and lows listed are therefore susceptible to more deviation than in most other cities. Despite the unpredictability of the weather, Denver does have four distinct seasons and experiences the most rainfall from April until September. However, given it’s arid climate, Denver has a very little 8 to 15 inches of rainfall a year. An average annual snowfall of 55 inches gives you the complete precipitation picture.
Denver has a huge amount of sunshine days each year, up to 300 days! Summers can be hot, with very occasional thunderstorms, and typical highs of 87°F. However, given the high altitude, summers will mostly feel pleasant and the low humidity makes for beautiful sunny days with cool evenings.
Winters can be interchangeable with periods of snow regularly interrupted by milder spells caused by warming winds that originate in the Pacific and are pushed down over the Rocky Mountains. As a result, daytime winter temperatures can be from anywhere below freezing to just over 60°F! Overnight during winter, the temperature can fall to lows of -10°F. Spring and fall often have a bit of snow in their early and latter stages respectively.
Best Time to Visit Denver
Denver Denver is a great place to visit at any time of the year especially if you’re looking to be active outdoors. From hiking in the spring and fall to skiing in winter and sightseeing year round, Denver has it all!
Winters can be very unpredictable with the potential for particularly cold or mild weather on any given day.
Summer sees the most rainfall and can feel quite hot, although the humidity remains low in summer, so late spring or early fall are good in terms of consistency of the weather. Highs in spring reach up to 72°F with overnight lows in the 30s F. In fall, there’s the potential for an Indian summer with highs of up to 75°F.
Things to know about Denver
Denver is the capital city of Colorado and lies just east of the Rocky Mountains in a valley at an altitude of 5280 ft, or one mile exactly, which is why it’s known as the Mile-High City that brings along some weather pecularities.
The LoDo (short for lower downtown) district is very trendy and whilst being a historic district, today sees lots of shops, restaurants and clubs. It’s home to the historic Denver Union Station which itself features several shops, bars and restaurants. 16th Street Mall and Latimer Square are next to LoDo and are also trendy areas to visit. In addition, 16th Street Mall offers a free shuttle.
It’s worth checking if there’s a concert on at the Red Rocks Amphitheatre which is located just outside of Denver and is one of the most unique concert venues in the world. It’s essentially a rock (in the geological sense, not the music type) structure that’s been made into an outdoor arena. It has a capacity of close to 10,000 and has seen the likes of The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, U2, Depeche Mode and The Grateful Dead all play there.
The Brown Palace Hotel is one of the longest operating hotels in Colorado and offers public tours to highlight its place in history and outline some of its notable guests over the years. Tours are particularly popular in October with “ghost” tours conducted that feature unexplained events that have been collated over the years. You could always join a free walking tour that takes you through downtown and points out the main sights, which there are:
- Denver Art Museum and
- The Denver Center for the Performing Arts
- City and County Building and
- Civic Center Park
- Pepsi Center and
- Colorado State Capitol
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