The Coldest December to Ever Paralyze Colorado

Colorado is known for its mountainous landscape, along with a stunningly varied terrain of canyons and prairies. In Colorado, the temperature can vary incredibly widely within one day. You may start the day in snow gear, only to sweat in a tee-shirt by the afternoon. But with its high altitude, it’s no wonder the state can get extremely cold and snowy. Curious about just how cold? Read on to find out the coldest December ever in the state.

What Is the Coldest December on Record?

Colorado temperature records date back to 1872, so we don’t know how cold things got before that. But the coldest December on record In Colorado occurred in 1983. The mean temperature that month was a low 17.4 degrees. The second coldest December in history happened in 1909 when the mean temperature hovered at 21.2 degrees.

What Is the Coldest December Day in Colorado History?

The coldest day for a Colorado December hit minus 25 degrees in Denver, which happened both on the 24th of 1876, and the 22nd of 1990. Meanwhile, the recorded warmest December day in the state’s history is when the temperature hit 79 degrees on December 5, 1939. When it comes to the state’s coldest day in history, on January 9, 1875, the temperature reached a bone-chilling minus 29 degrees.

What Is the Average Temperature in Colorado in December?

The monthly mean temperature is 30 degrees for the month. The average high is 42.8 degrees and the average low is 17.1 degrees.

What Is the Snowiest Month in Colorado?

Surprisingly, December comes in third place, with March usually proving to be the state’s snowiest month. November comes in second place. In December 1913, Denver was hit with a record 45.7 inches of snow in five days, halting all operations in the town for weeks. The month’s total for that year was a record-breaking 57.4 inches. The least snowy December took place in 1995  — Denver got zero inches of snow!