Remembering Colorado’s Coldest Dawn on the Western Slope

Colorado’s winter history is packed with record snowstorms, powerful winds, and bone-chilling cold. January is usually the coldest month on the Western Slope—but just how cold has it gotten in Mesa, Delta, and Montrose counties?

Thankfully, winters here are usually mild. Snow-covered roads aren’t common, and single-digit lows mostly show up in January. Keep scrolling to see the coldest temps ever recorded in Western Colorado—and just how low it can go around here.

Mesa County’s Coldest Morning

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According to the record keepers at ExtremeWeatherWatch.com, Grand Junction’s all-time low was recorded on January 13, 1963. That night, the temperature dropped to -23 degrees. That’s an average winter day in Fairbanks, Alaska, but not in Mesa County.

Imagine trying to start your car that morning. Residents would have been dealing with frosted metal railings and frozen pipes. Recorded as a Grand Junction weather station record, it’s the benchmark for the coldest morning in and around Mesa County

Delta County’s Extreme Freeze

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According to the Western Regional Climate Center, the record-low temperature for Delta County was recorded on January 7, 1913. That day, the overnight temperature dropped to -37 degrees. Can you imagine what it must have been like for farmers, livestock, and all the fruit orchards of the North Fork Valley? -37 degrees is the temperature at which Mercury freezes. That was not the only time Delta County felt extreme cold. Temperatures dropped to -27 on February 1, 1951.

Montrose County Coldest Night

Montrose County knows as good as anyone how cold Colorado can get during the winter months. ExtremeWeatherWatch.com says the record low for this county dates back to 1905, when the temperature dropped to  -27. That’s an average number for Minneapolis or Fargo (maybe even parts of Siberia). It just goes to show you how cold it can get during an Arctic outbreak followed by long, clear nights in the Rockies. Once that cold air pools in the mountain valleys, it can get really cold (keep that woodstove handy).

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