Erie Weather -- Boulder County, CO

Erie, CO -- Plains Community on the Boulder/Weld County Line

Erie is a fast-growing plains community sitting on the Boulder/Weld County line about fifteen miles east of the Flatirons, four miles east of Lafayette, and just north of Broomfield. The town's footprint has expanded substantially into Weld County over the past two decades, and the majority of Erie's current residential development is now on the Weld side of the line. At an average elevation of 5,026 feet -- the lowest of any community covered in this Boulder County weather guide -- Erie has the most plains-shaped climate of the US-36 corridor cluster: warmer summer afternoons, milder winter nights, the lightest annual snowfall in the corridor, and the smallest direct wind exposure from the foothills.

The terrain east of Erie is open plains stretching toward Greeley and the Pawnee Grasslands. To the west, Erie sits beyond the immediate influence of Marshall Mesa and the wildland-urban interface that defines fire risk in Louisville and Superior, giving the town a materially different weather and risk profile than the corridor cities closer to the foothills.

Fire Risk and History

Erie carries a low wildfire risk relative to the rest of the US-36 corridor. The town sits on open plains four miles east of Marshall Mesa, with no direct wildland-urban interface and no significant terrain features to channel or accelerate downslope wind events. During the December 30, 2021 Marshall Fire, Erie experienced significant smoke exposure but was outside the fire's footprint and not under evacuation order. Grassland fires remain possible on the open agricultural and residual range land east and north of town under hot, dry, windy conditions, but the historic fire footprint near Erie is small compared to communities closer to the foothills.

Elevation and Microclimate

At 5,026 feet, Erie is roughly 300 feet lower than central Boulder and the lowest-elevation community in this Boulder County weather guide. The flat plains terrain produces the most plains-shaped climate of the corridor: summer afternoon highs average several degrees warmer than the Boulder foothills, winter snowfall totals are the lightest in the area, and afternoon thunderstorm development typically lags the foothills by 60+ minutes as storms move east off the mountains. Sustained wind speeds tend to be lower than in Superior and Louisville because Erie sits well east of the terrain features that amplify downslope winds.

Flood Zone Information

Erie is largely classified FEMA Flood Zone X with minimal flood risk. Coal Creek tributaries pass through the area and produced notable flows during the September 2013 regional flood event, with localized impacts on trails and creek-adjacent infrastructure. The flat plains terrain east of the foothills drains broadly and did not produce the concentrated flood damage seen in upstream St Vrain communities. Properties along Coal Creek or any of the smaller tributaries north and west of town should verify their parcel designation at FEMA's Flood Map Service Center.

Nearby Weather Pages

• Lafayette weather -- next city west on SH-7
• Louisville weather -- US-36 corridor city further west
• Superior weather -- nearby foothills-adjacent city