Summit forecast, next 72 hours
- New snow0 in
- Strongest gusts20 mphSunday
- Coldest36°F
| Forecast | Snow | Gusts | Temp °F |
|---|---|---|---|
| TonightMostly Clear | 0 in | 15 mph | Low 36° |
| SaturdaySunny | 0 in | 15 mph | High 55° |
| Saturday NightPartly Cloudy | 0 in | 20 mph | Low 36° |
| SundayMostly Sunny | 0 in | 20 mph | High 53° |
| Sunday NightMostly Clear | 0 in | 15 mph | Low 38° |
| MondaySunny | 0 in | 15 mph | High 53° |
Snow is the forecast new accumulation at the summit grid point. Dots use Road Travel’s driving-risk scale.
Typical weather by month
Monthly normals from the long-term stations nearest the summit. None sits exactly on the pass, so each column says how far away and how high it is.
| Month | Porphyry Creek 10,760 ft · 1 mi southwest of the summit | Sargents 8,460 ft · 8 mi southwest of the summit | Taylor Park 9,179 ft · 27 mi northwest of the summit | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Precip (in) | High / low °F | Snow (in) | High / low °F | |
| Jan | 2.8 | 33° / -5° | 21.5 | 29° / -8° |
| Feb | 2.6 | 37° / -3° | 19.0 | 33° / -5° |
| Mar | 2.8 | 45° / 9° | 14.6 | 41° / 4° |
| Apr | 3.1 | 54° / 20° | 12.1 | 47° / 18° |
| May | 2.0 | 65° / 26° | 2.7 | 58° / 29° |
| Jun | 0.8 | 76° / 32° | 0.2 | 69° / 36° |
| Jul | 1.9 | 82° / 39° | 0 | 72° / 42° |
| Aug | 2.0 | 79° / 37° | 0 | 70° / 41° |
| Sep | 1.7 | 73° / 28° | 0.2 | 64° / 34° |
| Oct | 1.8 | 61° / 17° | 3.6 | 54° / 25° |
| Nov | 2.0 | 46° / 8° | 11.8 | 40° / 13° |
| Dec | 2.4 | 34° / -4° | 19.6 | 28° / -4° |
NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020: Porphyry Creek (USS0006L03S, 10,760 ft); SARGENTS (USC00057460, 8,460 ft); TAYLOR PARK (USC00058184, 9,179 ft). Snow days are days with at least 1 inch of new snow. “—” means the station does not publish that normal.
Cameras, road reports and winter rules
Conditions on the pass change by the hour, so these go straight to the official sources.
- For this passColorado Avalanche Information Center
- Colorado · CDOTCOtrip conditions and cameras
- Colorado · winter rulesTraction and chain laws
Check the official National Weather Service forecast for the summit and the road report before you leave.
Crossing Monarch Pass? See the summit at the hour you’ll be there
Road Travel times the forecast to your drive, so you see conditions at the summit when you will actually reach it, and get alerts about weather ahead on the way.
Questions about Monarch Pass
How high is Monarch Pass?
The summit is 11,312 ft above sea level, on US-50.
How far is Monarch Pass from Salida and Gunnison?
By road, the summit is 22 miles from Salida, CO and 42 miles from Gunnison, CO.
What is the wettest month at Monarch Pass?
April. The Porphyry Creek snow-monitoring site (10,760 ft, 1 mi southwest of the summit) averages 3.1 inches of precipitation that month, counting the water in melted snow (1991–2020 normals).
How cold does it get near Monarch Pass?
The coldest month is January. Sargents (8,460 ft, 8 mi southwest of the summit) averages a low of -5°F then (1991–2020 normals); the summit is 2,852 ft higher.