Photo: AllenS · Public domainArtesia reaches 100° on about 23 days a year, more than 96% of U.S. towns
A typical July afternoon reaches 96°, a January night drops to 27°, and about 4 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Artesia at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Artesia’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Artesia’s place in New Mexico beside it.
What a year in Artesia feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 198 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 11 and the first by October 29. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Artesia 6s, NM, 7 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Artesia’s center in zone 7b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 9°. 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 4 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Artesia 6s, NM, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 12 inches a year; September is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 49 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Artesia
65% of the work is heating. Months averaging under 55° run from November through March.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Artesia 6s, NM.
Living with Artesia’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
198 frost-free days in zone 7b. The last frost comes by Apr 11 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 29.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April and October. 7.3 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Artesia from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (80%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 10%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Artesia and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Artesia yet.
Climates most like Artesia’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Artesia, NM | 27° | 96° | 12" | 3.8" |
| Sedona, AZ | 30° | 97° | 17" | 1.0" |
| Fort Stockton, TX | 33° | 96° | 13" | 1.4" |
| Guymon, OK | 22° | 94° | 18" | 2.7" |
| Star, ID | 24° | 93° | 11" | 7.4" |
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 Artesia averaged 2.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.7°).
A bigger shift than in 89% 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 Artesia compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Artesia’s place among New Mexico’s.
Artesia weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Artesia’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Artesia 6s, NM. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 58° | 27° | 0.5" | 1.4" | 3 | 1 | 37° – 47° |
| February | 63° | 31° | 0.4" | 0.3" | 3 | 0 | 42° – 53° |
| March | 71° | 37° | 0.5" | 0.1" | 3 | 0 | 50° – 60° |
| April | 80° | 44° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 57° – 66° |
| May | 88° | 54° | 1.1" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 67° – 78° |
| June | 96° | 63° | 1.3" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 75° – 83° |
| July | 96° | 67° | 2.0" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 78° – 86° |
| August | 95° | 66° | 1.7" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 76° – 86° |
| September | 88° | 58° | 2.0" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 67° – 78° |
| October | 78° | 46° | 1.3" | 0.1" | 5 | 0 | 60° – 66° |
| November | 66° | 34° | 0.6" | 0.7" | 3 | 0 | 44° – 55° |
| December | 58° | 27° | 0.6" | 1.2" | 3 | 1 | 36° – 46° |
| Year | 78° | 46° | 12.3" | 3.8" | 49 | 2 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. May swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 67° to 78°. October is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Artesia’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 Artesia’s center.
- Snow: Artesia 6s, NM.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Artesia 6s, NM, 7 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 Artesia’s climate
What is the weather like in Artesia?
A typical July afternoon reaches 96°, a January night drops to 27°, and about 4 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 68% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 97% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Artesia in winter?
January nights average 27°. About 111 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 37°.
How much snow does Artesia get?
About 3.8 inches in a normal winter at Artesia 6s, NM, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 2 days a year.
How hot does it get in Artesia?
July, with a typical high of 96° and a low of 67°. About 109 days a year reach 90° and 23 reach 100° (Artesia 6s, NM).
When is the first and last frost in Artesia?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 11 and the first fall frost by October 29, about 198 frost-free days, at Artesia 6s, NM.
What growing zone is Artesia in?
Zone 7b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 9°.
What is the best time of year to visit Artesia?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), April and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Artesia getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 2.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 89% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Artesia.
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.