Anton Chico is drier than 93% of U.S. towns: 15 inches of precipitation a year
On a normal January night the air cools to about 21°. By July afternoons alone, it runs hotter than 81% of U.S. towns. Since 1901–2000, the year has warmed by 1.7°, most of all in March. Tender plants can go out after about May 2; in half of years the first frost comes by October 13.
A year in Anton Chico at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Anton Chico’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Anton Chico’s place in New Mexico beside it.
What a year in Anton Chico feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 162 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 2 and the first by October 13. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Dilia, NM, 5 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Anton Chico’s center in zone 6b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −1°. 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 27 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Dilia, NM, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 15 inches a year; July is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 63 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Anton Chico
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 Dilia, NM.
Living with Anton Chico’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
162 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by May 2 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 13.
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 Anton Chico from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (79%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 5%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Anton Chico and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Anton Chico yet.
Climates most like Anton Chico’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anton Chico, NM | 21° | 91° | 15" | 27" |
| American Fork, UT | 20° | 92° | 17" | 26" |
| Sheridan, CO | 19° | 89° | 16" | 34" |
| Dalhart, TX | 21° | 92° | 16" | 20" |
| Gardnerville, NV | 23° | 91° | 11" | 22" |
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 Anton Chico averaged 1.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+3.0°).
A bigger shift than in 69% 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 Anton Chico compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Anton Chico’s place among New Mexico’s.
Anton Chico weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Anton Chico’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Dilia, NM. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 52° | 21° | 0.5" | 5.2" | 3 | 2 | 29° – 42° |
| February | 56° | 24° | 0.5" | 3.7" | 2 | 2 | 35° – 46° |
| March | 64° | 29° | 0.8" | 4.6" | 3 | 1 | 43° – 52° |
| April | 71° | 35° | 0.8" | 1.3" | 3 | 0 | 48° – 57° |
| May | 79° | 44° | 1.3" | 0.1" | 5 | 0 | 58° – 68° |
| June | 89° | 54° | 1.6" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 67° – 76° |
| July | 91° | 59° | 2.6" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 71° – 79° |
| August | 89° | 57° | 2.5" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 70° – 78° |
| September | 83° | 50° | 1.9" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 61° – 71° |
| October | 73° | 38° | 1.3" | 0.7" | 4 | 0 | 53° – 60° |
| November | 61° | 27° | 0.6" | 3.6" | 3 | 1 | 37° – 50° |
| December | 51° | 21° | 0.8" | 8.0" | 4 | 2 | 31° – 41° |
| Year | 72° | 38° | 15.1" | 27.2" | 63 | 9 |
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°. July is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Anton Chico’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 Anton Chico’s center.
- Snow: Dilia, NM.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Dilia, NM, 5 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height; 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 Anton Chico’s climate
What is the weather like in Anton Chico?
A typical July afternoon reaches 91°, a January night drops to 21°, and about 27 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 56% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 81% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Anton Chico in winter?
January nights average 21°. About 136 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 29°.
How much snow does Anton Chico get?
About 27 inches in a normal winter at Dilia, NM, most of it in December, with snow on the ground about 9 days a year.
How hot does it get in Anton Chico?
July, with a typical high of 91° and a low of 59°. About 67 days a year reach 90° and 4 reach 100° (Dilia, NM).
When is the first and last frost in Anton Chico?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 2 and the first fall frost by October 13, about 162 frost-free days, at Dilia, NM.
What growing zone is Anton Chico in?
Zone 6b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −1°.
What is the best time of year to visit Anton Chico?
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 Anton Chico getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.7° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 69% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Anton Chico.
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.