Rainbow On The Mesa (Please Click Image To Enlarge)

Durango's enjoys an ideal four-season climate with moderate temperatures year-round.

Winters are mostly mild and sunny. January's mean daily minimum temperature is 14.4°F. Cold snaps are short-lived and rare. Winter snowfall in town averages 71 inches a year, but because of the low elevation and great solar exposure (85 percent of the year it's sunny), snow removal is only an occasional chore of manageable size. At higher elevations, like at Purgatory and the Durango Mountain Resort, snowfall averages over 250 inches per year!

Springtime brings warmer weather with rain to brighten up greening lawns and high-country meadows. During summer, temperatures seldom reach more than the high 80s and then just for a week or two. July's mean daily maximum is 83.2°F; mean daily minimum is 45.9°F. Rivers and reservoirs stay relatively full in summer, due to deep snow accumulation in the surrounding mountains. Fall days are cool and dry, perfect for a mountain hike or drive to see golden aspen and red-orange scrub oak.