Samuel Sanchez House · Photo: Tworiverflyfisher · CC BY-SA 3.0Hardly any U.S. towns see harsher January nights than Brazos
On a normal July day the thermometer tops out near 83°. It is a dry place: less rain and snow fall here than on 91% of U.S. towns. Warming shows here too: 1.6° more than in 1901–2000, led by March. Garden planting can start around June 11; autumn frost returns near September 20.
A year in Brazos at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Brazos’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Brazos’ place in New Mexico beside it.
What a year in Brazos feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 98 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by June 11 and the first by September 20. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Tierra Amarilla 4 N, NM, 1.0 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Brazos’ center in zone 5b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −14°. 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 75 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Tierra Amarilla 4 N, NM, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 17 inches a year; August is the wettest month and June the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 83 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Brazos
99% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from October through May.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Tierra Amarilla 4 N, NM.
Living with Brazos’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
98 frost-free days in zone 5b. The last frost comes by Jun 11 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 20.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: July and August.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Brazos from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (80%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 1%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Brazos and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Brazos yet.
Climates most like Brazos’, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brazos, NM | 8° | 83° | 17" | 75" |
| Rexburg, ID | 12° | 84° | 13" | 70" |
| Bozeman, MT | 13° | 83° | 17" | 91" |
| Jackson, WY | 6° | 80° | 19" | 78" |
| Mandan, ND | 3° | 84° | 18" | 51" |
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 Brazos averaged 1.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+3.3°).
A bigger shift than in 65% 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 Brazos compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Brazos’ place among New Mexico’s.
Brazos weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Brazos’ center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Tierra Amarilla 4 N, NM. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 40° | 8° | 1.4" | 17.7" | 7 | 17° – 30° |
| February | 43° | 12° | 1.3" | 15.3" | 7 | 23° – 34° |
| March | 51° | 20° | 1.2" | 9.8" | 7 | 31° – 40° |
| April | 59° | 26° | 1.1" | 6.6" | 7 | 39° – 46° |
| May | 69° | 32° | 1.3" | 0.7" | 6 | 47° – 55° |
| June | 80° | 40° | 0.7" | 0.0" | 4 | 56° – 63° |
| July | 83° | 47° | 1.9" | 0.0" | 9 | 61° – 69° |
| August | 80° | 46° | 2.3" | 0.0" | 11 | 60° – 67° |
| September | 74° | 39° | 1.9" | 0.0" | 7 | 51° – 59° |
| October | 63° | 28° | 1.4" | 1.6" | 6 | 42° – 49° |
| November | 50° | 18° | 1.2" | 8.4" | 6 | 26° – 41° |
| December | 40° | 9° | 1.3" | 15.0" | 7 | 19° – 31° |
| Year | 61° | 27° | 17.0" | 75.1" | 83 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 26° to 41°. August is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Brazos’ 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 Brazos’ center.
- Snow: Tierra Amarilla 4 N, NM (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Tierra Amarilla 4 N, NM, 1.0 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 Brazos’ climate
What is the weather like in Brazos?
A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 8°, and about 75 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 96% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 70% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Brazos in winter?
January nights average 8°. About 235 nights a year reach 32° or below and 25 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 17°.
How much snow does Brazos get?
About 75 inches in a normal winter at Tierra Amarilla 4 N, NM, most of it in January.
How hot does it get in Brazos?
July, with a typical high of 83° and a low of 47°. About 5 days a year reach 90° (Tierra Amarilla 4 N, NM).
When is the first and last frost in Brazos?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by June 11 and the first fall frost by September 20, about 98 frost-free days, at Tierra Amarilla 4 N, NM.
What growing zone is Brazos in?
Zone 5b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −14°.
What is the best time of year to visit Brazos?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), July and August. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Brazos getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.6° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 65% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Brazos.
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.