Arches through the year
The hiking season at Arches runs February to May and September to December. At about 1,436.3 metres, mean monthly temperature ranges from 1 in January to 31 in July.
United States · Colorado Plateau
Best time to hike Arches
Selected representative ERA5-Land grid cell at about 1,436 m; not a claim about every route across the region.
Plan with real conditions
Compare the hiking year
Start with these months
The existing model's best months. Compare the conditions below before choosing a route.
Swipe sideways to compare all conditions →
| Month | Hiking-hour temperature | Wet days per month | Days with modelled snow | Daylight | Season guide |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 0.8°C | ≈ 5.6 | 55.5% | 9 h 48 min | No recommendation |
| February → | 4.5°C | ≈ 6.4 | 33.7% | 10 h 48 min | View month |
| March → | 9.8°C | ≈ 6.5 | 12.1% | 12 h 00 min | View month |
| April → | 14.4°C | ≈ 5.1 | 2.7% | 13 h 12 min | Best month |
| May → | 20.8°C | ≈ 4 | 0.2% | 14 h 18 min | Best month |
| June | 27.5°C | ≈ 1.9 | 0% | 14 h 48 min | No recommendation |
| July | 30.8°C | ≈ 2.6 | 0% | 14 h 36 min | No recommendation |
| August | 28.6°C | ≈ 4.6 | 0% | 13 h 36 min | No recommendation |
| September → | 23.2°C | ≈ 4.9 | 0% | 12 h 24 min | View month |
| October → | 14.9°C | ≈ 5.8 | 0.8% | 11 h 12 min | Best month |
| November → | 7.6°C | ≈ 4.8 | 15.7% | 10 h 06 min | View month |
| December → | 1.3°C | ≈ 5.5 | 48.2% | 9 h 30 min | View month |
What these numbers describe
Historical climate at one selected model cell. Higher routes, sheltered valleys and exposed ridges can differ substantially.
Model elevation: 1,436 m · Historical period: 1991–2025
Trail wind is not available here. This model does not resolve exposed ridges or gusts; check a local mountain forecast.
How to read these figures
Selected cell: 38.7, -109.6
Temperature sampling window (local time, limited to daylight): 08:00–18:00.
A wet day has at least 1 mm of total precipitation (including snow water equivalent). It may rain for only part of the day.
A snow day meets either model threshold: 10% snow cover or 2 cm snow depth.
Turn the climate into a trip
Choose a specific route and check its distance, ascent, difficulty, current access and forecast. These are not supplied by the climate model.
Elevation view
One reproducible reference point
The monthly value represents the selected representative ERA5-Land grid cell. It deliberately does not pretend to describe every route across the region.
38.7, -109.6 · 1,436 m
representative1,386–1,487 m100% weight
Months we do not recommend
4 months do not clear the gate
The record for these months is complete. They carry no hiking score because at least one critical component is at or below 20, and we would rather say so here than publish a weak recommendation.
- January0.8°C18% wet dayssnow below the floor
- June27.5°C6% wet daysheat below the floor
- July30.8°C8% wet daysheat below the floor
- August28.6°C15% wet daysheat below the floor
Similar alternatives
Keep exploring
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More around Arches
Hiking areas
Why January and June to August are missing
In July the hiking-window temperature reaches 31 degrees. We withhold January and June to August because sustained heat makes a walk a question of time of day and water, rather than of season.
In the remaining withheld months, snow cover is the limiting factor.
Conditions in April
The strongest scored month is April: about 14 degrees in the hiking window, rain on 17 percent of days, and 13 hours of daylight.
What these figures cover
Every figure comes from one selected ERA5-Land model grid cell at 38.70, -109.60, 1,436.3 metres, averaged over 1991 to 2025. It describes that point rather than every route in the region, and it is not a forecast. Wind is coarse 10 metre grid wind, not a statement about exposed paths or gusts.
Quick answers
Questions about Arches
- When should you hike Arches?
- 8 of twelve months clear our criteria, and April scores highest.
- Why are some months not recommended?
- In 4 months at least one critical component falls below the threshold, most often heatStress.
- What do these figures describe?
- One selected ERA5-Land model grid cell at 1436.3 metres, averaged over 1991 to 2025. It is not a forecast and not a statement about individual trails.
Tours and activities around Arches
Add a guided walk, a boat trip or a local experience after checking that the climate fits your plans.
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Where to stay around Arches
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