Borrego Pass’ winters are colder than most of the U.S.; July afternoons average 84°
A typical July afternoon reaches 84°, a January night drops to 18°.
A year in Borrego Pass at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Borrego Pass’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Borrego Pass’ place in New Mexico beside it.
What a year in Borrego Pass feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 118 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 29 and the first by September 26. Frost and day counts come from Thoreau 12 Se, NM, 20 miles away.
The 2023 USDA map puts Borrego Pass’ center in zone 6b: 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 12 inches of rain a year
August is the wettest month and June the driest.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Borrego Pass
93% 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 Thoreau 12 Se, NM.
Living with Borrego Pass’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
118 frost-free days in zone 6b. 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 26.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, August and September. 18 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Borrego Pass from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (73%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 18%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Borrego Pass and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Borrego Pass yet.
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 Borrego Pass averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.5°).
A smaller shift than in 52% 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 Borrego Pass compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Borrego Pass’ place among New Mexico’s.
Borrego Pass weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Borrego Pass’ center. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 42° | 18° | 0.9" | 24° – 35° |
| February | 45° | 21° | 0.7" | 28° – 39° |
| March | 54° | 27° | 0.7" | 36° – 45° |
| April | 61° | 32° | 0.5" | 42° – 52° |
| May | 71° | 41° | 0.7" | 52° – 61° |
| June | 83° | 51° | 0.5" | 62° – 71° |
| July | 84° | 57° | 2.0" | 67° – 74° |
| August | 81° | 55° | 2.1" | 66° – 72° |
| September | 75° | 48° | 1.3" | 57° – 64° |
| October | 65° | 36° | 0.9" | 45° – 55° |
| November | 52° | 25° | 0.7" | 31° – 45° |
| December | 41° | 17° | 0.8" | 24° – 36° |
| Year | 63° | 36° | 11.9" |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 31° to 45°. August is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Borrego Pass’ 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 Borrego Pass’ center.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Thoreau 12 Se, NM, 20 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height; 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 Borrego Pass’ climate
What is the weather like in Borrego Pass?
A typical July afternoon reaches 84°, a January night drops to 18°. Colder January nights than 72% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 57% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Borrego Pass in winter?
December nights average 17°. About 205 nights a year reach 32° or below and 12 reach 0° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 24°.
How hot does it get in Borrego Pass?
July, with a typical high of 84° and a low of 57°. About 13 days a year reach 90° (Thoreau 12 Se, NM).
When is the first and last frost in Borrego Pass?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 29 and the first fall frost by September 26, about 118 frost-free days, at Thoreau 12 Se, NM.
What growing zone is Borrego Pass in?
Zone 6b 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 Borrego Pass?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June, August and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Borrego Pass getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.3° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 52% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Borrego Pass.
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.