Black Rock’s winters are colder but less snowy than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 89°, a January night drops to 16°, and about 10 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Black Rock at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Black Rock’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Black Rock’s place in New Mexico beside it.
What a year in Black Rock feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 127 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 29 and the first by October 2. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Zuni, NM, 2.4 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Black Rock’s center in zone 6a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −7°. 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 10 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Zuni, NM, 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 46 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Black Rock
91% 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 Zuni, NM.
Living with Black Rock’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
127 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 Oct 2.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: September. 1.8 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Black Rock from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (72%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 18%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Black Rock and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Black Rock yet.
Climates most like Black Rock’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 Rock, NM | 16° | 89° | 11" | 10" |
| Blackfoot, ID | 16° | 88° | 11" | 15" |
| Richfield, UT | 16° | 90° | 11" | 18" |
| Montrose, CO | 15° | 90° | 10" | 22" |
| Powell, WY | 11° | 87° | 7" | 11" |
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 Rock averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.2°).
A smaller shift than in 67% 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 Rock compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Black Rock’s place among New Mexico’s.
Black Rock weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Black Rock’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Zuni, NM. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 47° | 16° | 0.9" | 2.8" | 4 | 1 | 26° – 37° |
| February | 51° | 19° | 0.8" | 1.7" | 4 | 1 | 31° – 41° |
| March | 59° | 24° | 0.8" | 0.9" | 4 | 0 | 37° – 46° |
| April | 66° | 29° | 0.5" | 0.3" | 3 | 0 | 43° – 53° |
| May | 76° | 37° | 0.6" | 0.1" | 3 | 0 | 51° – 60° |
| June | 87° | 45° | 0.3" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 62° – 70° |
| July | 89° | 54° | 1.6" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 67° – 75° |
| August | 86° | 53° | 1.9" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 66° – 72° |
| September | 81° | 45° | 1.1" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 59° – 66° |
| October | 70° | 33° | 1.0" | 0.1" | 4 | 0 | 47° – 56° |
| November | 57° | 22° | 0.7" | 0.7" | 3 | 0 | 33° – 44° |
| December | 47° | 15° | 0.8" | 3.4" | 4 | 2 | 27° – 37° |
| Year | 68° | 33° | 11.0" | 10.0" | 46 | 4 |
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 44°. August is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Black Rock’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 Rock’s center.
- Snow: Zuni, NM.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Zuni, NM, 2.4 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 Black Rock’s climate
What is the weather like in Black Rock?
A typical July afternoon reaches 89°, a January night drops to 16°, and about 10 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 82% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 72% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Black Rock in winter?
December nights average 15°. About 194 nights a year reach 32° or below and 6 reach 0° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 27°.
How much snow does Black Rock get?
About 10 inches in a normal winter at Zuni, NM, most of it in December, with snow on the ground about 4 days a year.
How hot does it get in Black Rock?
July, with a typical high of 89° and a low of 54°. About 54 days a year reach 90° and 1 reach 100° (Zuni, NM).
When is the first and last frost in Black Rock?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 29 and the first fall frost by October 2, about 127 frost-free days, at Zuni, NM.
What growing zone is Black Rock in?
Zone 6a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −7°.
What is the best time of year to visit Black Rock?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Black Rock getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 67% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Black Rock.
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.