Belen Hotel · Photo: AzaniahT · CC BY-SA 3.0Belen reaches 100° on about 13 days a year, more than 92% of U.S. towns
Deep winter brings January lows near 23°. The wettest month is August; the driest is January. It is a dry place: less rain and snow fall here than on 98% of U.S. towns. Keep the boiler serviced for the months from November to March, which average under 50°.
A year in Belen at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Belen’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Belen’s place in New Mexico beside it.
What a year in Belen feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 178 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 23 and the first by October 21. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Los Lunas 3 Ssw, NM, 2.7 miles from the town’s center, 120 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Belen’s 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 5 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Los Lunas 3 Ssw, NM, falls mostly in January and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 10 inches a year; August is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 52 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Belen
79% 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 Los Lunas 3 Ssw, NM.
Living with Belen’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
178 frost-free days in zone 7b. The last frost comes by Apr 23 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 21.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May and October. 4.9 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Belen from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (74%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 3%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Belen and its neighbors
Sausal has the coldest January nights next door (21°, 2° colder) and Jarales the hottest July afternoons (95°, 2° warmer). Differences under a degree are within what the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Belen’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Belen, NM | 23° | 93° | 10" | 5.1" |
| Star, ID | 24° | 93° | 11" | 7.4" |
| Fernley, NV | 25° | 93° | 6" | 4.5" |
| Chino Valley, AZ | 27° | 92° | 11" | 10" |
| Ontario, OR | 23° | 93° | 10" | 15" |
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 Belen averaged 1.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.9°).
A bigger shift than in 87% 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 Belen compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Belen’s place among New Mexico’s.
Belen weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Belen’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Los Lunas 3 Ssw, NM. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 51° | 23° | 0.4" | 1.5" | 3 | 0 | 32° – 42° |
| February | 57° | 27° | 0.4" | 0.7" | 3 | 0 | 36° – 47° |
| March | 65° | 33° | 0.5" | 0.3" | 3 | 0 | 45° – 54° |
| April | 72° | 39° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 51° – 61° |
| May | 82° | 48° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 61° – 69° |
| June | 92° | 57° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 71° – 78° |
| July | 93° | 64° | 1.7" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 75° – 82° |
| August | 90° | 61° | 1.8" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 73° – 79° |
| September | 84° | 54° | 1.2" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 64° – 73° |
| October | 73° | 41° | 0.9" | 0.4" | 4 | 0 | 54° – 62° |
| November | 60° | 30° | 0.6" | 0.6" | 3 | 0 | 39° – 52° |
| December | 50° | 23° | 0.6" | 1.6" | 3 | 0 | 32° – 41° |
| Year | 73° | 42° | 9.6" | 5.1" | 52 | 2 |
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 52°. August is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Belen’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 Belen’s center.
- Snow: Los Lunas 3 Ssw, NM.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Los Lunas 3 Ssw, NM, 2.7 miles from the town’s center, 120 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 Belen’s climate
What is the weather like in Belen?
A typical July afternoon reaches 93°, a January night drops to 23°, and about 5 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 55% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 91% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Belen in winter?
January nights average 23°. About 152 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 32°.
How much snow does Belen get?
About 5.1 inches in a normal winter at Los Lunas 3 Ssw, NM, most of it in January and December, with snow on the ground about 2 days a year.
How hot does it get in Belen?
July, with a typical high of 93° and a low of 64°. About 92 days a year reach 90° and 13 reach 100° (Los Lunas 3 Ssw, NM).
When is the first and last frost in Belen?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 23 and the first fall frost by October 21, about 178 frost-free days, at Los Lunas 3 Ssw, NM.
What growing zone is Belen 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 Belen?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Belen getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 87% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Belen.
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.