Black Hat’s winters are colder and snowier than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 86°, a January night drops to 18°, and about 34 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Black Hat at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Black Hat’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Black Hat’s place in New Mexico beside it.
What a year in Black Hat feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 121 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 29 and the first by September 28. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Window Rock Airport, 6 miles from the town’s center, 280 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Black Hat’s center in zone 6a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −5°. 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 34 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Gallup Muni Airport, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 11 inches a year; August is the wettest month and June the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 73 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Black Hat
94% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from October 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 Window Rock Airport.
Living with Black Hat’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
121 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by May 29 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Sep 28.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, August and September. 1.2 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Black Hat from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (71%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 20%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Black Hat and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Black Hat yet.
Climates most like Black Hat’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black Hat, NM | 18° | 86° | 11" | 34" |
| Orchard Homes, MT | 18° | 86° | 13" | 43" |
| Chubbuck, ID | 17° | 88° | 12" | 39" |
| Cimarron Hills, CO | 18° | 85° | 17" | 33" |
| Cody, WY | 14° | 85° | 11" | 45" |
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 Black Hat averaged 1.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.9°).
A bigger 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 Black Hat compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Black Hat’s place among New Mexico’s.
Black Hat weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Black Hat’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Gallup Muni Airport. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 43° | 18° | 0.9" | 6.3" | 6 | 8 | 24° – 37° |
| February | 47° | 22° | 0.8" | 5.9" | 6 | 3 | 29° – 40° |
| March | 55° | 26° | 0.7" | 4.4" | 5 | 1 | 35° – 45° |
| April | 62° | 31° | 0.5" | 2.3" | 4 | 1 | 42° – 52° |
| May | 72° | 39° | 0.6" | 1.1" | 4 | 0 | 51° – 60° |
| June | 83° | 48° | 0.3" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 61° – 70° |
| July | 86° | 56° | 1.7" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 67° – 74° |
| August | 83° | 55° | 1.9" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 66° – 73° |
| September | 77° | 47° | 1.4" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 57° – 65° |
| October | 66° | 35° | 0.9" | 1.5" | 6 | 0 | 47° – 55° |
| November | 53° | 24° | 0.8" | 4.5" | 5 | 2 | 33° – 46° |
| December | 43° | 17° | 0.9" | 7.8" | 6 | 8 | 23° – 36° |
| Year | 64° | 35° | 11.3" | 33.8" | 73 | 23 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 33° to 46°. July is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Black Hat’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 Black Hat’s center.
- Snow: Gallup Muni Airport.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Window Rock Airport, 6 miles from the town’s center, 280 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 Black Hat’s climate
What is the weather like in Black Hat?
A typical July afternoon reaches 86°, a January night drops to 18°, and about 34 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 71% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 54% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Black Hat in winter?
December nights average 17°. About 196 nights a year reach 32° or below and 8 reach 0° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 23°.
How much snow does Black Hat get?
About 34 inches in a normal winter at Gallup Muni Airport, most of it in December, with snow on the ground about 23 days a year.
How hot does it get in Black Hat?
July, with a typical high of 86° and a low of 56°. About 24 days a year reach 90° (Window Rock Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Black Hat?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 29 and the first fall frost by September 28, about 121 frost-free days, at Window Rock Airport.
What growing zone is Black Hat in?
Zone 6a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −5°.
What is the best time of year to visit Black Hat?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), June, August and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Black Hat getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.5° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 58% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Black Hat.
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.