A new record low temperature for the date was reached on February 26, when the morning low was zero degrees. The old record was +5 degrees, set in 2018.
The first trace of rain for 2020 comes early for Crestone this year, on March 8, with the first measurable rain then seen less than a week later on March 13. The first 24 hour non freezing day of 2020 takes place next, on March 17. The last day before March 17, 2020 that Crestone saw a full day without freezing temps was on November 20, 2019.
While March ended up seeing above average temperatures, the high for the month was only 58 degrees, reached on the 31st, and that is the coolest high seen in Crestone in the month since March of 1992 when the high that year in March was only 54 degrees. Then on the other side of the coin, the low for the month of March this year was 15 degrees, and that reading is the second warmest low even seen in any March, with 16 degrees holding on to that record, which was set in 1999.
A record low temperature was set on April 14 when the thermometer dropped down to 9.4 degrees, breaking the old record low for the date of 10 degrees, set back in 2007.
The first thunderstorm of 2020 was seen on April 21, while the first hail storm of the year occurred on the next day, April 22.
The Crestone/Baca tied a record (for only the third time ever) for the lowest snowfall seen in the month of April, when only a trace of snow was recorded. April is normally the second snowiest month of the year. Plus, the second lowest monthly precipitation total ever recorded in April was also seen, when only 0.4 of an inch of precip fell in the month.
For May, another below average month for precipitation. Plus most days were very dry, with 15 days seeing humidity values below 10%.
A few records were broken in June. First, a record amount of precipitation for the date was set on the first when .40 of an inch of rain and hail was recorded between 2:50pm and 7:00pm. The old record for the date was .36 of an inch, set in 2009. The second record broken, was a record low high of 57 degrees, set on June 9, breaking the old record of 58 degrees, reached in 1992. Then a daily record snowfall for June 9 was set when 0.7 of an inch of snow fell, with this being only the fifth time since 1982 that snow has been reported in June in the greater Crestone-Baca area below 11,000 feet, and the first time snow fell in the month since 1999. One last note, in an event that took place just 3 days before the June snow, a hailstorm with mainly pea size hail hit at 3:15 PM on the 6th; after it was over, the temperature had dropped 26 degrees in just 10 minutes, along with up to 2 inches of hail on the ground.
Three weather records were set in July. First, a record low was reached on July 1 when the temp fell to 38 degrees, breaking the old record of 40 degrees, set in 2008. Then a record high was set on July 10, when the thermometer reached 91 degrees, tying the old mark first set in 2003. The third record breaker for July was reached on the 26th, when record rainfall for the date was reached when 0.76 of an inch fell in 4 hours time on Sunday night. That broke the old record for the date of 0.51 inches, set in 2007.
The top wind gust for August 26 was 31 mph, recorded at 5:02 PM. At the very same time on that day, a microburst hit downtown Crestone (1.5 miles to the north), with reports of 50 or 60 mph winds hitting over there at the same time.
August 2020, with an average temperature of 67.4 degrees, was the warmest August ever on record and saw 4 record high temperatures reached in the month.
After seeing 2 record high temperatures broken for two days in a row on September 5 (88 degrees) and 6 (87 degrees), a cold front came in to town with a snowstorm that broke 23 different weather records in just 4 days between September 8 and the 11th, including 9 new records reached on the 8th alone! Just too many records to name them all, but the most talked about was the much needed early snow that fell, adding up to 8.5" at the weather station in three days (with up to a foot reported at several other locations around town), making it the snowiest September ever on record and giving the area a much needed boost against the on-going drought.
Seven more weather records were broken in October, and all of them were for either high or low daily temperatures.
After many records were set in the 2 months prior, November was very quite, with no records set in the entire month. Then the same deal applied to the following month of December, while on the cold side, no records were broken.
FAQs
Main Attractions
It includes an array of world religions. In town, there is a Zen center, a few Tibetan Buddhist centers, a Hindu temple, a co-ed Carmelite monastery, and a myriad of New Age events. Read about the best things to do in Crestone.
How much snow does Crestone, Colorado get a year? ›
Climate and Average Weather Year Round in Crestone, Colorado. Throughout the year, the temperature in Crestone city varies between a low of 8°F and a high of 82°F. The city also experiences an annual precipitation of 15 inches and a snowfall of 59 inches.
What are the demographics of Crestone Colorado? ›
Population & Diversity
Crestone, CO is home to a population of 33 people, from which 100% are citizens. As of 2022, 0% of Crestone, CO residents were born outside of the country (0 people). In 2022, there were NaNy times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (33 people) in Crestone, CO than any other race or ethnicity.
What is a crestone? ›
The Crestones, as they are known collectively, in turn, took their name from the Spanish word crestón, which, according to Walter Borneman and Lyndon Lampert's book A Climbing Guide to Colorado's Fourteeners, means: “the top of a co*ck's comb”; “the crest of a helmet”; or, in miners' jargon, “an outcropping of ore”.
Why is Crestone spiritual? ›
But Crestone's reputation as a spiritual site began long before asphalt and prayer flags: Both the Navajo and Hopi considered the nearby Blanca Peak a sacred mountain, and artifacts prove Indigenous people gathered here far before any European would set sight on the “Bloodless Valley.” US News and World Report—a very ...
What mining town in Colorado was the highest town in the US? ›
Walk across the sky in the U.S.'s highest-elevation city. Nestled in the Rocky Mountains at 10,158 feet, Leadville, Colorado, draws adventurers and history buffs. Here's how to visit this former mining boomtown.
What is the snowiest town in Colorado? ›
The snowiest city in Colorado is Crested Butte with an average snowfall of 216.6 inches, though this is debateble. The least snowy city in Colorado is Grand Junction with an average snowfall of 15.8 inches.
Is Colorado the snowiest state? ›
Colorado receives the tenth-highest amount of snowfall annually in the country, which is good considering the state is known for its skiing. The state as a whole receives feet inches of snow annually, but this varies significantly across the state.
What is the most snow ever recorded in Colorado? ›
Colorado Climate Center
| State Record | Value | Date |
|---|
| Minimum Temperature | -61°F | February 1, 1985 |
| 24-Hour Precipitation | 11.85 inches | September 12, 2013 |
| 24-Hour Snowfall | 75.8 inches | April 14-15, 1921 |
| Snow Depth | 251 inches | March 31, 1979 |
3 more rowsThe state has 64 counties, and precisely half of them, 32, rate as more than 80 percent "white alone." In descending order: Mineral (91.2 percent), Custer (91.0 percent), Ouray (90.2 percent), Hinsdale (89.6 percent), Kiowa (89.2 percent), Clear Creek (88.6 percent), Park (88.1 percent), Cheyenne (87.8 percent), ...
What is the largest racial group in Colorado? ›
The 5 largest ethnic groups in Colorado are White (Non-Hispanic) (66.2%), White (Hispanic) (9.91%), Two+ (Hispanic) (6.78%), Other (Hispanic) (4.53%), and Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) (3.83%).
What is Crestone known for? ›
Perhaps no town in the western United States has taken a more unexpected turn than Crestone, Colorado – the onetime mining and ranching center has become an international hub for Buddhist, Hindu, New Age, and other spiritual practices.
Is Crestone a desert? ›
Crestone is a beautiful, remote, high desert wilderness surrounded by classic Colorado 14-ners, rivers, hot springs, rock climbing, mountain biking, and our property borders on the Great Sand Dunes National Park.
How many religions are in Crestone, Colorado? ›
Crestone is widely popular for its mountainous terrain, ghost towns, and alpine views, but the mountain town is also home to many spiritual centers representing various sects of at least 7 different religions including Hinduism, Tibetan Buddhism, Catholicism, Christianity, and more.
What is the Speciality of Colorado? ›
Colorado is noted for its landscape of mountains, forests, high plains, mesas, canyons, plateaus, rivers, and desert lands. Colorado is one of the Mountain States and is often considered to be part of the southwestern United States.
How many religions are in Crestone? ›
Crestone is widely popular for its mountainous terrain, ghost towns, and alpine views, but the mountain town is also home to many spiritual centers representing various sects of at least 7 different religions including Hinduism, Tibetan Buddhism, Catholicism, Christianity, and more.
What mountains are by Crestone Colorado? ›
The Crestones are a group of four 14,000-foot (4,300 m) peaks (fourteeners) in the Sangre de Cristo Range above Crestone, central southern Colorado, comprising: Crestone Peak (14,294 ft; 4,357 m ) Crestone Needle (14,197 ft; 4,327 m ) Kit Carson Mountain (14,165 ft; 4,317 m )
