Colorado is one of the most gorgeous places for photography, but the weather can be a bit daunting! You might be asking yourself, when is the best time to schedule my engagement photos? When are fall leaves the most beautiful? Can I get snow in my photos without freezing? Have no fear! I am here to answer all those questions and more. Keep on reading to find out when the best season is for engagement photos in Colorado!
An important note: regardless of the season, beautiful photos are absolutely possible! I have photographed in so many different conditions and climates and as cheesy as it sounds, the most important thing is your attitude and perspective on your photos (and lighting lol– that’s truly the most important).
Are you looking to book an engagement session in Colorado? I’d love to chat with you! You can find more info on my engagement sessions, including pricing and a full portfolio here. Ready to book? Fill out my contact form! I can’t wait to work with you!
An overview on Colorado weather
Colorado has a vast array of temperatures and climates. Even though the state isn’t that big, there is a lot of variation throughout the state. For the sake of this guide, I’m going to be talking mostly about Denver and the mountain towns 1-2 hours from Denver since that’s where most of my photoshoots take place.
Weather Averages in Denver
January – February: Temperatures are usually in the mid 30’s. You can almost always expect snow.
March: A little warmer with average temperature of 43. Don’t let this fool you though, March has the 2nd most snow (after December) with an average of 2.1 inches.
April – May: Temperatures around the mid 50’s, but still can get chilly at night. April is the windiest month. May has the most amount of rainfall with 1.9 inches.
June – August: The warmest months, with an average temperature of 73 degrees. The average high is around 88 degrees in July. July also has the most chances of rain than any month, most days will have some sort of light afternoon shower. These months also have the latest sunsets, with June setting around 8:30pm.
September: Things begin to cool off, average temperature of 65 degrees.
October – November: Temperatures start dropping quickly, averages being 52 degrees and 40 degrees respectively. End of October brings the rainless period and starts the snow period mid-October. Don’t expect a ton of snow yet though.
December: The snowiest and coldest month with average temperatures in the 30s.
Best months for engagement shoots in Colorado
January
January is one of my least favorite months for engagement shoots in Colorado because it is usually always frigid cold and one of the windier months. However, if you’re wanting to ensure a winter wonderland for your engagement photos, then maybe January is the month for you. This month almost always has snow on the ground.
Note for the mountains: most mountain passes and roads are closed for the season in January. If you are wanting to venture outside of Denver for your session, snow tires and chains are a must.
February
February is another super cold month, but less windy and less cold than January. There is almost always snow still in the mountains, but not as much in the city.
March
March is a sneaky month! Most folks think of the beginnings of spring when they think of this month, but don’t be fooled– March has some of the most snow of any month. It is still super chilly. And if there isn’t snow, most of the foliage is quite dead and barren.
April
So many engagement sessions happen in April! But if you can, try to hold off just a little bit longer! End of April is “mud season” when all the snow starts to melt. It can be the most barren of the months with no leaves or grass just yet. April is also one of the windiest months, making it less than ideal for photos.
May
May is also considered “mud season”. But you’ll start to experience a bit more foliage and leaves. The temperatures are much more mild! If you can hold off until the end of May when spring flowers start to bloom, I highly recommend! Beginning of May vs. end of May is very different.
June
June is one of the best seasons for engagement session in Colorado. The greenery is lush and absolutely beautiful but still a little more temperature than July. June begins a period of high percentages of rain (not as much as July) but usually they are short showers typically in the afternoon. June has the latest sunset (around 8:30) which makes it great for folks that work a traditional 9-5 job.
July
July is the hottest month and the month with the most chance of rain. But it is still a gorgeous month to take your engagement photos since everything is typically still pretty lush and green!
Note for the mountains: July is one of the best months in the mountains! At higher elevations July and August is typically when you can see the most wildflowers and greenery.
August
This month is great because it is the least windy and starts cooling off a bit. However, throughout August most of the foliage and greenery burns off at lower elevations.
Note for the mountains: August is one of my favorite months though for the mountains!! This month is still relatively temperate but still green and lush!
September
Things start to cool off in September, but don’t expect fall colors to pop off just yet at lower elevations (that doesn’t usually happen until next month.)
Note for the mountains: fall has arrived! Fall colors start to really show mid September at the higher elevations. The higher you go, typically the sooner you can expect to see the colors.
Here’s a really great map with predictions for colors. But remember, sometimes these changes happen literally overnight. I always tell folks never to book a location just for the fall colors. If everything changes before we can get out there, make sure you still love the location.
October
Fall has arrived! In most locations, early October will bring fall foliage all around. Once you get towards the end of the month, most locations in the mountains will be past peak, however you can usually find a few pretty trees closer to the city towards the end of the month. This makes it one of the best seasons for engagement sessions in Colorado.
Here’s a really great map with predictions for colors. But remember, sometimes these changes happen literally overnight. I always tell folks never to book a location just for the fall colors. If everything changes before we can get out there, make sure you still love the location.
Note for the mountains: October can be misleadingly chilly in the mountains. It can easily be 30 degrees colder than in Denver, so make sure to check the temperatures of your specific location and not the closest town. You might travel up a mountain pass and lose 20 degrees in 10 minutes.
November
Fall is usually no longer, except with a few rare cases in the city of Denver. By this point I recommend choosing a location with pine trees, a more rocky backdrop, or a city location since leaves will begin to fall.
Note for the mountains: winter season is now upon us! If you choose a mountain location from now until mid-March, make sure you are snow prepared! That means snow tires and chains!
December
The coldest and snowiest of months, definitely not for the faint of heart! Expect deep snow in all mountain locations and frigid temperatures! Also a month with some of the least amount of daylight so if you are wanting a session it will likely be during traditional business hours.
The TL;DR – my favorite seasons for Colorado engagement photos
When is my favorite time for engagement sessions in Denver?
For sessions within and close to Denver, I absolutely love June! It looks much more like Spring. Everything is lush and green. There isn’t as high of a chance for rain and has the most amount of sun making it a flexible time for folks with busy jobs.
When is my favorite time for engagement sessions in the mountains?
This is a toss up between July/August (depends on elevation) and October! July/August is when you can expect the beautiful greenery and maybe even wildflowers. But October is when the whole state bursts with fall colors! Just depends on your preference and the overall vibe of your session.
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