Photo: John Phelan · CC BY 3.0Algodones is among the driest of U.S. towns: 10 inches of precipitation a year
On a normal July day the thermometer tops out near 93°. Summer afternoons here are warmer than in 90% of U.S. towns. Compared with 1901–2000, the average now sits 1.6° higher. Central heating does most of its work from November to March, in months below 50° on average.
A year in Algodones at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Algodones’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Algodones’ place in New Mexico beside it.
What a year in Algodones feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 188 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 17 and the first by October 24. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Jemez Dam, NM, 3 miles from the town’s center, 270 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Algodones’ center in zone 7b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 6°. 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 6 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Jemez Dam, NM, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 10 inches a year; August is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 50 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Algodones
78% of the work is heating. Months averaging under 55° run from November 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 Jemez Dam, NM.
Living with Algodones’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
188 frost-free days in zone 7b. The last frost comes by Apr 17 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 24.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May and September. 11 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Algodones from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (80%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 5%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Algodones and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Algodones in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Algodones’, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Algodones, NM | 21° | 93° | 10" | 5.7" |
| Star, ID | 24° | 93° | 11" | 7.4" |
| Spanish Springs, NV | 25° | 91° | 10" | 6.8" |
| Chino Valley, AZ | 27° | 92° | 11" | 10" |
| Fruitvale, CO | 19° | 94° | 10" | 13" |
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value. Snow and frost-free days come from the nearest weather station, so neighbors often share them.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Algodones averaged 1.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+3.0°).
A bigger shift than in 67% 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 Algodones compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Algodones’ place among New Mexico’s.
Algodones weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Algodones’ center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Jemez Dam, NM. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 49° | 21° | 0.6" | 0.8" | 4 | 0 | 29° – 40° |
| February | 55° | 26° | 0.5" | 0.7" | 3 | 0 | 35° – 45° |
| March | 64° | 31° | 0.7" | 0.9" | 3 | 0 | 44° – 53° |
| April | 71° | 37° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 50° – 59° |
| May | 81° | 46° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 59° – 68° |
| June | 91° | 55° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 69° – 77° |
| July | 93° | 61° | 1.7" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 74° – 81° |
| August | 90° | 59° | 1.8" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 72° – 79° |
| September | 83° | 52° | 1.2" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 62° – 71° |
| October | 72° | 39° | 1.1" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 53° – 60° |
| November | 58° | 29° | 0.7" | 0.3" | 2 | 0 | 37° – 50° |
| December | 48° | 21° | 0.7" | 3.0" | 4 | 1 | 30° – 39° |
| Year | 71° | 40° | 10.4" | 5.7" | 50 | 2 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 37° to 50°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Algodones’ 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 Algodones’ center.
- Snow: Jemez Dam, NM.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Jemez Dam, NM, 3 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 Algodones’ climate
What is the weather like in Algodones?
A typical July afternoon reaches 93°, a January night drops to 21°, and about 6 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 53% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 90% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Algodones in winter?
December nights average 21°. About 125 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 30°.
How much snow does Algodones get?
About 5.7 inches in a normal winter at Jemez Dam, NM, most of it in December, with snow on the ground about 2 days a year.
How hot does it get in Algodones?
July, with a typical high of 93° and a low of 61°. About 71 days a year reach 90° and 5 reach 100° (Jemez Dam, NM).
When is the first and last frost in Algodones?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 17 and the first fall frost by October 24, about 188 frost-free days, at Jemez Dam, NM.
What growing zone is Algodones in?
Zone 7b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 6°.
What is the best time of year to visit Algodones?
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 Algodones getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.6° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 67% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Algodones.
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.