Precipitation in Bent trails that of 92% of U.S. towns: 16 inches a year
On a normal January night the air cools to about 26°. Only 61° separates winter nights from summer afternoons. By January nights alone, it runs milder than 65% of U.S. towns. Central heating does most of its work from November to March, in months below 50° on average.
A year in Bent at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Bent’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Bent’s place in New Mexico beside it.
What a year in Bent feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 173 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 30 and the first by October 21. Frost and day counts come from Mtn Park, NM, 13 miles away.
The 2023 USDA map puts Bent’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 17 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Mtn Park, NM, falls mostly in January, February and December. 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 60 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Bent
93% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. 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 Mtn Park, NM.
Living with Bent’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
173 frost-free days in zone 7b. The last frost comes by Apr 30 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, August, September and October.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Bent from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (73%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 6%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Bent and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Bent yet.
Climates most like Bent’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bent, NM | 26° | 85° | 16" | 17" |
| Indian Hills, NV | 25° | 86° | 14" | 14" |
| Bend, OR | 25° | 84° | 12" | 22" |
| Hamilton, MT | 20° | 86° | 13" | 17" |
| Show Low, AZ | 19° | 86° | 15" | 19" |
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 Bent averaged 1.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.7°).
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 Bent compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Bent’s place among New Mexico’s.
Bent weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Bent’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Mtn Park, NM. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 51° | 26° | 0.9" | 3.9" | 4 | 2 | 34° – 43° |
| February | 55° | 29° | 0.8" | 4.2" | 4 | 2 | 38° – 47° |
| March | 62° | 34° | 0.8" | 2.4" | 4 | 1 | 44° – 53° |
| April | 69° | 39° | 0.6" | 0.7" | 2 | 0 | 50° – 59° |
| May | 78° | 47° | 0.8" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 59° – 67° |
| June | 87° | 56° | 1.0" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 68° – 74° |
| July | 85° | 59° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 68° – 76° |
| August | 84° | 58° | 2.9" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 68° – 75° |
| September | 79° | 53° | 2.1" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 62° – 69° |
| October | 70° | 42° | 1.5" | 1.1" | 4 | 0 | 53° – 60° |
| November | 59° | 32° | 0.9" | 1.0" | 3 | 0 | 39° – 52° |
| December | 51° | 26° | 1.2" | 4.0" | 4 | 4 | 34° – 44° |
| Year | 69° | 42° | 16.3" | 17.3" | 60 | 9 |
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 7°.
Where Bent’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 Bent’s center.
- Snow: Mtn Park, NM.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Mtn Park, NM, 13 miles from the town’s center, 780 ft higher; no station nearby passes every check; this is the nearest one in the same valley, flagged above.
- 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 Bent’s climate
What is the weather like in Bent?
A typical July afternoon reaches 85°, a January night drops to 26°, and about 17 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 65% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 52% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Bent in winter?
January nights average 26°. About 106 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 34°.
How much snow does Bent get?
About 17 inches in a normal winter at Mtn Park, NM, most of it in January, February and December, with snow on the ground about 9 days a year.
How hot does it get in Bent?
July, with a typical high of 85° and a low of 59°. About 5 days a year reach 90° (Mtn Park, NM).
When is the first and last frost in Bent?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 30 and the first fall frost by October 21, about 173 frost-free days, at Mtn Park, NM.
What growing zone is Bent 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 Bent?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, August, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Bent 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 Bent.
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.