Photo: G. Thomas at English Wikipedia · Public domainAbiquiu’s winters are colder but less snowy than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 88°, a January night drops to 17°, and about 11 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Abiquiu at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Abiquiu’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Abiquiu’s place in New Mexico beside it.
What a year in Abiquiu feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 168 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 29 and the first by October 16. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Abiquiu Dam, NM, 6 miles from the town’s center, 270 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Abiquiu’s center in zone 7a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 2°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
90° days by month
Average days at 90° or more
About 11 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Abiquiu Dam, NM, falls mostly in January and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 11 inches a year; August is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 78 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Abiquiu
90% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from October through April.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Abiquiu Dam, NM.
Living with Abiquiu’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
168 frost-free days in zone 7a. The last frost comes by Apr 29 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Oct 16.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May and September.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Abiquiu from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (69%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 1%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Abiquiu and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Abiquiu yet.
Climates most like Abiquiu’s, farther away
TownRatings’ own comparison of NOAA 1991–2020 normals, not a NOAA product: places of 5,000+ at least 150 miles away, one per state, closest on January low, July high, precipitation and snow.
| Town | Jan. low | July high | Precip. | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abiquiu, NM | 17° | 88° | 11" | 11" |
| Blackfoot, ID | 16° | 88° | 11" | 15" |
| Richfield, UT | 16° | 90° | 11" | 18" |
| Snowflake, AZ | 20° | 90° | 10" | 13" |
| Hamilton, MT | 20° | 86° | 13" | 17" |
Temperatures and precipitation come from NOAA’s 5 km grid; snow and day counts from the stations named on this page.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Abiquiu averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.6°).
A bigger shift than in 51% of U.S. towns.
Change by month
The two periods overlap (1991–2000 is in both), which makes the gap a little smaller than it would be between separate periods.
How Abiquiu compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Abiquiu’s place among New Mexico’s.
Abiquiu weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Abiquiu’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Abiquiu Dam, NM. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 44° | 17° | 0.4" | 2.8" | 4 | 4 | 25° – 37° |
| February | 49° | 22° | 0.4" | 2.0" | 5 | 2 | 30° – 41° |
| March | 58° | 27° | 0.6" | 1.6" | 5 | 2 | 38° – 47° |
| April | 65° | 33° | 0.7" | 0.4" | 5 | 0 | 45° – 54° |
| May | 75° | 41° | 0.8" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 53° – 63° |
| June | 85° | 50° | 0.7" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 63° – 72° |
| July | 88° | 56° | 1.9" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 68° – 76° |
| August | 85° | 55° | 2.0" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 66° – 73° |
| September | 79° | 47° | 1.3" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 58° – 66° |
| October | 68° | 35° | 0.9" | 0.1" | 6 | 0 | 48° – 55° |
| November | 54° | 25° | 0.5" | 0.6" | 5 | 0 | 32° – 46° |
| December | 44° | 18° | 0.6" | 3.0" | 5 | 2 | 25° – 36° |
| Year | 66° | 35° | 10.7" | 10.5" | 78 | 10 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 32° to 46°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Abiquiu’s numbers come from
Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. How TownRatings reads climate data →
- Temperatures and precipitation: NOAA’s gridded 1991–2020 normals for the 5 km cell at Abiquiu’s center.
- Snow: Abiquiu Dam, NM.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Abiquiu Dam, NM, 6 miles from the town’s center, 270 ft higher; the nearest station that passes our checks for distance, height and agreement with the grid.
- Growing zone: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map, 2023. USDA Agricultural Research Service and PRISM Group, Oregon State University, prism.oregonstate.edu/phzm, accessed 8 Oct 2026.
- Then and now: NOAA’s gridded normals for 1901–2000 at the same cell.
- Storms and extremes: FEMA National Risk Index (expected annual losses to buildings).
Common questions about Abiquiu’s climate
What is the weather like in Abiquiu?
A typical July afternoon reaches 88°, a January night drops to 17°, and about 11 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 75% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 66% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Abiquiu in winter?
January nights average 17°. About 147 nights a year reach 32° or below and 1 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 25°.
How much snow does Abiquiu get?
About 11 inches in a normal winter at Abiquiu Dam, NM, most of it in January and December, with snow on the ground about 10 days a year.
How hot does it get in Abiquiu?
July, with a typical high of 88° and a low of 56°. About 34 days a year reach 90° (Abiquiu Dam, NM).
When is the first and last frost in Abiquiu?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 29 and the first fall frost by October 16, about 168 frost-free days, at Abiquiu Dam, NM.
What growing zone is Abiquiu in?
Zone 7a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 2°.
What is the best time of year to visit Abiquiu?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Abiquiu getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 51% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Abiquiu.
Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000; USDA/PRISM 2023 hardiness zones; FEMA National Risk Index. Today’s forecast: National Weather Service.