Less rain and snow falls on Alma than on 93% of U.S. towns: 16 inches a year
On a normal July day the thermometer tops out near 92°. Summer afternoons here are warmer than in 86% of U.S. towns. Compared with 1901–2000, the average now sits 1.3° higher. Central heating does most of its work from November to March, in months below 50° on average.
A year in Alma at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Alma’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Alma’s place in New Mexico beside it.
What a year in Alma feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 164 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 6 and the first by October 18. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Glenwood, NM, 4 miles from the town’s center, 270 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Alma’s center in zone 7b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 8°. 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 2 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Glenwood, NM, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 16 inches a year; July is the wettest month and April the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 55 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Alma
82% 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 Glenwood, NM.
Living with Alma’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
164 frost-free days in zone 7b. The last frost comes by May 6 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 18.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May. 2.4 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Alma from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (47%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 1%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Alma and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Alma yet.
Climates most like Alma’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alma, NM | 23° | 92° | 16" | 1.8" |
| Guymon, OK | 22° | 94° | 18" | 2.7" |
| Muleshoe, TX | 23° | 92° | 18" | 7.5" |
| Emmett, ID | 23° | 93° | 13" | 7.4" |
| Spanish Springs, NV | 25° | 91° | 10" | 6.8" |
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 Alma averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.2°).
A smaller shift than in 58% 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 Alma compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Alma’s place among New Mexico’s.
Alma weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Alma’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Glenwood, NM. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 57° | 23° | 1.2" | 0.9" | 4 | 0 | 35° – 45° |
| February | 61° | 26° | 1.2" | 0.4" | 4 | 0 | 39° – 49° |
| March | 67° | 30° | 0.9" | 0.2" | 4 | 0 | 42° – 54° |
| April | 74° | 35° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 48° – 59° |
| May | 82° | 42° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 58° – 68° |
| June | 92° | 51° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 67° – 75° |
| July | 92° | 58° | 2.9" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 73° – 79° |
| August | 89° | 58° | 2.8" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 71° – 78° |
| September | 86° | 51° | 1.9" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 64° – 71° |
| October | 76° | 39° | 1.2" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 55° – 62° |
| November | 65° | 28° | 1.0" | 0.1" | 3 | 0 | 39° – 56° |
| December | 56° | 23° | 1.3" | 0.2" | 5 | 0 | 34° – 44° |
| Year | 75° | 39° | 15.6" | 1.8" | 55 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 39° to 56°. July is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Alma’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 Alma’s center.
- Snow: Glenwood, NM.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Glenwood, NM, 4 miles from the town’s center, 270 ft lower; 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 Alma’s climate
What is the weather like in Alma?
A typical July afternoon reaches 92°, a January night drops to 23°, and about 2 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 55% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 86% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Alma in winter?
December nights average 23°. About 130 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 34°.
How much snow does Alma get?
About 1.8 inches in a normal winter at Glenwood, NM, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 0 days a year.
How hot does it get in Alma?
July, with a typical high of 92° and a low of 58°. About 65 days a year reach 90° and 5 reach 100° (Glenwood, NM).
When is the first and last frost in Alma?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 6 and the first fall frost by October 18, about 164 frost-free days, at Glenwood, NM.
What growing zone is Alma in?
Zone 7b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 8°.
What is the best time of year to visit Alma?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Alma getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.3° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 58% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Alma.
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.