Dakota Ridge, Colorado Weather
Dakota Ridge, Colorado — live current conditions, hourly and 7-day forecasts, NWS alerts, radar and satellite imagery for Dakota Ridge, Jefferson County.
Full aviation weather for Dakota Ridge is published on the Centennial Airport (KAPA) page, 26 km away. It carries the current METAR decoded into plain language — surface wind, visibility, cloud layers and ceiling, temperature and dewpoint, and altimeter setting — alongside the raw observation as transmitted. 6 airfields within reach of Dakota Ridge have their own pages, listed below.
The Terminal Aerodrome Forecast (TAF) is shown across its full validity period, with each change group broken out so you can see when conditions are expected to shift. Flight category is derived automatically — VFR, MVFR, IFR or LIFR — from reported ceiling and visibility, with runway details and field elevation alongside. Observations update roughly hourly and forecasts several times a day.
Other airports near Dakota Ridge: Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport (KBJC) 34 km · Buckley Space Force Base (KBKF) 36 km · Erie Municipal Airport (KEIK) 46 km · Boulder Municipal Airport (KBDU) 49 km · Denver International Airport (KDEN) 50 km
Conditions reported at KAPA describe the airfield itself. Weather 26 km away can differ, particularly in terrain or near the coast. For conditions at Dakota Ridge specifically, see the current conditions and forecast above.
About Dakota Ridge, Colorado
Dakota Ridge unfolds across a rugged expanse, its terrain a testament to the forces that shaped the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains. It lies 2.8 miles north-west of Ken Caryl, CO (from Ken Caryl, CO: bearing 312°T), and is situated 7.9 miles south-south-west of Lakewood. Here, the land rises in dramatic slopes and weathered escarpments, a mosaic of scrub oak, ponderosa pine, and tenacious wildflowers clinging to rocky outcrops. Sunlight, particularly in the late afternoon, casts long, deep shadows that accentuate the raw, untamed beauty of the landscape, painting the exposed rock faces in hues of ochre and rust. The air carries a crisp, dry scent, a blend of pine needles and sun-baked earth, a constant reminder of the high-altitude environment. The very character of Dakota Ridge is etched into these ancient formations, a wildness that persists even as human presence asserts itself. The history of Dakota Ridge is intertwined with the pioneering spirit of the American West, a narrative of prospectors and settlers drawn by the whisper of mineral wealth. Though the boom times of mining may have faded, the echoes of that past can still be felt in the sturdy, unpretentious architecture and the enduring spirit of self-reliance that defines the local character. Today, the economy of Dakota Ridge draws sustenance from its proximity to larger urban centers, with many residents commuting for work, yet it retains a distinct identity shaped by its natural surroundings. Outdoor recreation is a central pillar, with hiking trails winding through its varied topography, offering breathtaking vistas of the valleys below, and drawing visitors who seek the quiet majesty of this elevated landscape.
Live animated radar for Dakota Ridge and surroundings — RainViewer.
NOAA GOES-16 GEOCOLOR — live animated loop updated every 10 minutes. Shows cloud cover, storm systems and weather patterns across the continental US.
Source: NOAA/NESDIS GOES-East · Public domain · Auto-updates on page reload
| Location | Dakota Ridge, Jefferson County, Colorado |
| Coordinates | 39.60304°N, 105.151332°W |
| Timezone | Mountain Time (America/Denver) |
| ZIP Code(s) | 80127, 80465 |
| Area Code | 303, 720 |
| Page generated | September 2026 |
| Weather data | Open-Meteo (open-source), NOAA National Weather Service |
About This Dakota Ridge, Colorado Weather Page
This page provides live weather conditions and forecasts for Dakota Ridge, Colorado, including current conditions, a 24-hour hourly forecast, 7-day outlook, NWS extended text forecast, precipitation radar and NOAA GOES-16 satellite imagery. Aviation weather — live METAR observations and TAF forecasts — is published separately on the pages for the nearest reporting airports, linked from the aviation section above. Additional sections may include tide predictions, wave height, wave direction and sea-surface temperature, a barometric pressure trend, and a solunar-based fishing forecast with a fishing-conditions rating for coastal localities, and soil temperature, crop weather and live USGS river gauge data for agricultural areas near a monitored waterway. All data updates automatically on every page visit.
Location data for Dakota Ridge includes coordinates 39.603040°N, 105.151332°W, situated in Jefferson County. ZIP code 80127, 80465. Telephone area code: 303, 720. Timezone: Mountain Time (America/Denver).
Weather data is sourced from the NOAA National Weather Service (NWS) and the open-source Open-Meteo API. River and stream data is sourced from the USGS National Water Information System. Tide predictions are sourced from NOAA CO-OPS; marine and solunar data are modeled from Open-Meteo and public sunrise/moon calculations and should be treated as a general guide alongside on-the-water conditions. Radar is provided by RainViewer. Satellite imagery is sourced from NOAA/NESDIS GOES-East and is public domain.
