Superior Weather -- Boulder County, CO

Superior, CO -- Marshall Mesa Foothills City in Boulder County

Superior sits at the base of Marshall Mesa in southwestern Boulder County, immediately south of US-36 and directly across the highway from Louisville. At an average elevation of 5,485 feet -- the highest in the US-36 corridor cluster -- Superior occupies a transitional position where the Boulder Valley plains meet the rising terrain of Marshall Mesa and the broader Front Range foothills. That terrain transition is the single most important factor in Superior's weather: the town sits squarely in the path of the downslope wind events that periodically reshape Front Range weather, and the alignment of Marshall Mesa amplifies those wind speeds at ground level in Superior's western neighborhoods.

Modern Superior is dominated by master-planned residential communities -- Sagamore, Rock Creek, and the original Town of Superior -- many of which back directly onto open-space land at the base of the mesa. That wildland-urban interface, combined with the wind alignment described above, made Superior one of the two most heavily impacted communities in the December 30, 2021 Marshall Fire.

Fire Risk and History

Superior carries a high wildfire risk, and within Boulder County only the deepest mountain communities and a handful of foothills neighborhoods carry comparable exposure. The Marshall Fire (December 30, 2021) destroyed approximately 378 homes within Superior, including most of the Sagamore neighborhood. The fire originated near Marshall, just west of Superior, and was driven into the town by sustained 100+ mph downslope winds within hours of ignition. The Sagamore neighborhood lay directly in the wind-driven fire path.

The conditions that drove the Marshall Fire are not anomalies. Superior experiences high-end Bora and Chinook downslope wind events most winters, often with sustained gusts over 80 mph at ground level. Combined with dry winter grassland on the open space at the base of Marshall Mesa, these conditions produce the highest plains-fire exposure in Boulder County. The Town of Superior's wildfire mitigation guidance addresses this risk specifically.

Elevation and Microclimate

At 5,485 feet, Superior is the highest-elevation city in the US-36 corridor cluster, sitting roughly 150 feet above Louisville and almost 250 feet above Lafayette. The position at the base of Marshall Mesa produces measurably stronger sustained wind speeds than nearby plains communities -- the terrain alignment channels and accelerates downslope winds rather than slowing them. Summer afternoon thunderstorms can develop quickly along the mesa above the town, and snowfall totals run modestly higher than in Louisville and Lafayette due to the elevation gain. UV exposure is roughly 20 percent stronger than sea level.

Flood Zone Information

Superior is largely classified FEMA Flood Zone X with minimal flood risk. Rock Creek and its tributaries drain the area, flowing east into Coal Creek, and during the September 2013 regional flood event these channels carried elevated flows with localized impacts on trails and adjacent open space. The flat-to-gently-sloping residential terrain drains adequately, and the September 2013 event did not produce significant residential damage in Superior. Properties immediately adjacent to Rock Creek should verify their parcel designation at FEMA's Flood Map Service Center.

Nearby Weather Pages

• Louisville weather -- across US-36; also affected by Marshall Fire
• Lafayette weather -- east on SH-7
• Erie weather -- plains community further east