Stepping Stone, Colorado Weather
Pikas hayfeeding in granite peaks. Day 77 of spring. Read this microseason across nine climate regions →
Stepping Stone weather forecast — hour by hour, 7-day outlook, NOAA radar
- TodayJun 4Overcast——86°52°—
- FridayJun 5Overcast——87°61°+1°
- SaturdayJun 6Light Drizzle20%0.01″88°61°+1°
- SundayJun 7Light Drizzle20%—89°59°+1°
- MondayJun 8Overcast37%—89°58°0°
- TuesdayJun 9Overcast24%—89°62°0°
- WednesdayJun 10Overcast——92°66°+3°
PM2.5 at 12.3 µg/m³, PM10 at 13.6 µg/m³ — typical background levels with no transport signature. AQI down 33 over the last 6 hours — air quality is improving sharply.
OK No precautions needed for the general population; unusually sensitive individuals may consider limiting prolonged outdoor exertion.
What's driving it
PM × Wind × Precip
PM2.5 at 12.3 µg/m³, PM10 at 13.6 µg/m³ — typical background levels with no transport signature.
- PM2.5/PM10
- 0.90
- Wind
- breezy
- Recent rain
- 0h in last 6h
- Pattern
- background
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).
A summer fog for fair, a winter fog for rain.
- Moonrise
- 5:28 AM
- Moonset
- 3:05 PM
- In sign
- ♑︎ Capricorn
Pikas hayfeeding in granite peaks
Stepping Stone at a glance
- Today vs. normal: 21°F below the seasonal normal for this latitude
- Last frost: April 13 (climatological average for this latitude)
- Microseason: Jun 1–5
- Planting window: Harvest spring lettuce before it bolts. Sow heat-tolerant greens.
Right now in the garden
Warm-season window is open
As of June 4, the last spring frost has passed for most years. Transplant tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, basil, and cucurbits (cucumbers, squash, melons) now. Direct-sow beans and corn into warm soil.
SPC Convective Outlook
Storm Prediction Center — Stepping Stone
SPC has placed Stepping Stone in the General Thunderstorms category for severe thunderstorms today.
- TODAYTSTMGeneral Thunderstorms
- TOMORROWTSTMGeneral Thunderstorms
- DAY 3TSTMGeneral Thunderstorms
Thunderstorms possible. Not severe, but capable of producing lightning and brief heavy rain.
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.
Planting calendar
| Month | Plant | Harvest |
|---|---|---|
| January | — | — |
| February | — | — |
| March | — | — |
| April | lettuce, peas, spinach, radishes | — |
| May | lettuce, peas, spinach, radishes, tomatoes, peppers, beans, squash | lettuce, peas, radishes |
| June | tomatoes, peppers, beans, squash | lettuce, peas, radishes |
| July | tomatoes, peppers, beans, squash | tomatoes, beans, summer squash |
| August | — | tomatoes, beans, summer squash |
| September | fall brassicas, garlic (overwinter), carrots | tomatoes, beans, summer squash |
| October | fall brassicas, garlic (overwinter), carrots | winter squash, tomatoes (last) |
| November | — | — |
| December | — | — |
A year in weather
Stepping Stone's warmest month is July (~73°F mean) and its coldest is December (~31°F). Rainfall peaks in August (2.3 inches) and bottoms out in December (0.3 inches).
| Month | Mean temp | Precip | Rainy days |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 32° | 0.4″ | 1 |
| February | 33° | 0.4″ | 2 |
| March | 41° | 1.0″ | 3 |
| April | 47° | 1.9″ | 5 |
| May | 56° | 2.0″ | 5 |
| June | 67° | 2.0″ | 4 |
| July | 73° | 1.8″ | 5 |
| August | 71° | 2.3″ | 4 |
| September | 63° | 1.3″ | 3 |
| October | 50° | 1.0″ | 3 |
| November | 39° | 0.5″ | 2 |
| December | 31° | 0.3″ | 1 |
Regional context
Stepping Stone's baseline climate, derived from NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 normals at the nearest reporting station, swings from a January mean of 32°F to a July mean of 73°F — a 41°F seasonal arc typical of the mid-latitude bands. Annual precipitation runs about 15 inches spread across roughly 37 days with measurable rain or snow each year.
Precipitation runs summer-dominant here: August averages 2.3 inches across 4.1 days with measurable rain, driven mostly by warm-season storms and thunderstorm activity, while December drops to just 0.3 inches across 1.0 rainy days under drier cool-season air. That wet-warm-summer pattern groups Stepping Stone with places like Meridian Village, CO, Sierra Ridge, CO and Stonegate, CO — a regional cohort where summer thunderstorm season carries more than half the annual moisture.
The frost-sensitive growing window opens around mid-April, when overnight lows reliably clear freezing for cool-season crops like peas, lettuce, spinach, and radishes. Warm-season transplants — tomatoes, peppers, and basil — typically wait two weeks past that date to avoid late spring cold snaps. The window closes around mid-November, when overnight lows resume dipping below freezing and frost-tender plants need protection or harvest. These dates represent 30-year central tendencies; actual year-to-year variation can shift either bookend by 7-14 days, and local microclimate features within Stepping Stone — cold-air drainage on calm clear nights, slope aspect, distance from any nearby lake or river — can push the practical frost window earlier or later than the regional average.
Similar climates: Meridian Village, CO, Sierra Ridge, CO, Stonegate, CO, Grand View Estates, CO, Parker, CO.
Frequently asked
- When does it freeze in Stepping Stone?
- Stepping Stone's last spring frost typically falls around mid-April, and the first fall frost arrives around mid-November.
- What is the rainy season in Stepping Stone?
- August is the wettest month with about 2.3 inches of rain on average; the city receives roughly 15 inches annually.
- What is the warmest month in Stepping Stone?
- July is typically warmest, averaging about 73°F.
- What is the coldest month in Stepping Stone?
- December is typically coldest, averaging about 31°F.
- When can I start a vegetable garden in Stepping Stone?
- Cool-season crops (peas, lettuce) can be sown around the last spring frost (mid-April); warm-season crops (tomatoes, peppers) wait until 1–2 weeks after.
- How many rainy days does Stepping Stone get?
- Stepping Stone averages about 37 rainy days per year.
- What hardiness zone is Stepping Stone?
- Stepping Stone's USDA hardiness zone is determined by its lowest average winter temperature; check the USDA's online lookup with the city ZIP for the current zone designation.
Climate
Stepping Stone, Colorado sits in a hot desert climate zone. January means hover near 32°F while July averages 73°F — a 41°F seasonal swing.
Across the year, Stepping Stone receives about 15 inches of precipitation spread over roughly 37 rainy days.
The rhythm of the year is set by latitude (39.5°N), proximity to large water bodies, and elevation — all of which shape what grows here, when frost is likely, and what the weather story looks like day to day.