Will It Rain in Boulder Today?

Boulder is a carry-an-umbrella city: rain on roughly 28% of days

Boulder records about 711mm of rain across roughly 103 wet days a year, which is a 28% chance on an average day. August is the wettest month at 102mm (14% of the annual total) and October the driest at 30mm. Local rain type: brief showers.

Chance of rain on an average day: 28%

Rainfall climatology for Boulder. The live hour-by-hour answer for today loads at the top of this page from Open-Meteo and refreshes through the day — the figures below describe a typical year, not today.

Conditions on this page are recalculated from the latest forecast every time it is opened, for the current date in the location's own time zone.

Key numbers for Boulder

Annual rainfall711mm
Rain days per year103
Odds on an average day28%
Wettest monthAugust — 102mm over 11 days
Driest monthOctober — 30mm over 5 days
Rain typebrief showers
Best dry windowOctober is the most reliable dry stretch of the year.
Worst rain windowAugust carries the highest chance of a washed-out day.

What the data actually tells you

Wettest against driest

August delivers 240% more rain than October (102mm vs 30mm). That gap is the difference between planning around showers and ignoring them.

How concentrated the rain is

No single month holds more than 14% of the annual total, so rain in Boulder is spread through the year — there is no season you can rely on being dry.

Umbrella or jacket

Boulder rain typically comes as discrete showers, so a compact umbrella and a flexible plan are usually enough.

Wet-day frequency

Rain falls on about 11 days in August against 5 in October — the frequency swing matters more for planning than the millimetre totals.

Monthly rainfall in Boulder

Climate normals. Use them to judge whether today's live forecast at the top of the page is typical or unusual for the season.

MonthRainfallRain daysChance on a given dayHighs
January54mm930%7°C
February54mm930%9°C
March66mm1137%13°C
April66mm1137%19°C
May66mm1137%24°C
June66mm723%28°C
July93mm1033%30°C
August102mm1137%28°C
September42mm723%24°C
October30mm517%19°C
November30mm517%13°C
December42mm723%9°C

Planning around rain in Boulder

How we turn rain data into a yes or no

Rain probability is the chance that at least 0.2mm falls at your location — not how long it rains. For Boulder we combine the hourly probability curve, expected volume in millimetres, and the city's own rainfall record into a single umbrella verdict.

FactorWeightWhat it measures
Hourly probability 40% Peak and sustained chance of measurable rain across the next 24 hours.
Expected volume 30% Total millimetres, which separates a passing shower from a genuine soaking.
Timing & duration 20% When rain starts, when it eases, and the longest continuous dry window.
Local rain type 10% Drizzle, brief showers, thunderstorms or monsoon — each needs different gear.

Live hourly values come from Open-Meteo and refresh through the day. Monthly rainfall figures are climate normals, so they describe a typical year rather than a forecast.

Frequently asked questions

How often does it rain in Boulder?

Boulder records rain on roughly 103 days a year — about a 28% chance on any given day — totalling around 711mm.

What is the rainiest month in Boulder?

August, with about 102mm over 11 rain days. That is 14% of the entire year's rainfall in a single month.

When is the driest time in Boulder?

October is the driest month at 30mm across roughly 5 days.

Do I need an umbrella in Boulder?

With rain on about 28% of days and brief showers as the dominant type, a compact umbrella or waterproof shell is worth packing for Boulder outside October.

Does a 40% rain probability mean it will rain for 40% of the day?

No. Probability is the chance that at least 0.2mm of rain falls at your location at some point in the period. Check the expected millimetres alongside it: 40% with 0.4mm is a passing shower, 40% with 12mm is a soaking.

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