Buckhorn is drier than 94% of U.S. towns: 14 inches of precipitation a year
January mornings start at about 23°. By July afternoons alone, it runs hotter than 89% of U.S. towns. Since 1901–2000, the year has warmed by 1.3°, most of all in March. Seedlings are safe outdoors from about May 9, with the first autumn frost due around October 15.
A year in Buckhorn at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Buckhorn’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Buckhorn’s place in New Mexico beside it.
What a year in Buckhorn feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 157 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 9 and the first by October 15. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Cliff 11 Se, NM, 18 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Buckhorn’s center in zone 7b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 9°. 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 2 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Buckhorn, NM, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 14 inches a year; July is the wettest month and April the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 51 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Buckhorn
83% of the work is heating. Months averaging under 55° run from November through March.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Cliff 11 Se, NM.
Living with Buckhorn’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
157 frost-free days in zone 7b. The last frost comes by May 9 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 15.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May and October.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Buckhorn from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (65%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 2%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Buckhorn and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Buckhorn yet.
Climates most like Buckhorn’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buckhorn, NM | 23° | 92° | 14" | 1.9" |
| Guymon, OK | 22° | 94° | 18" | 2.7" |
| Emmett, ID | 23° | 93° | 13" | 7.4" |
| Spanish Springs, NV | 25° | 91° | 10" | 6.8" |
| Muleshoe, TX | 23° | 92° | 18" | 7.5" |
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 Buckhorn averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.0°).
A smaller shift than in 53% 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 Buckhorn compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Buckhorn’s place among New Mexico’s.
Buckhorn weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Buckhorn’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Buckhorn, NM. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 57° | 23° | 1.0" | 1.3" | 4 | 0 | 36° – 44° |
| February | 61° | 26° | 1.0" | 0.3" | 4 | 0 | 39° – 49° |
| March | 68° | 31° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 44° – 54° |
| April | 75° | 36° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 50° – 60° |
| May | 83° | 43° | 0.3" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 59° – 68° |
| June | 93° | 53° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 68° – 76° |
| July | 92° | 60° | 2.7" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 74° – 79° |
| August | 90° | 60° | 2.6" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 72° – 80° |
| September | 86° | 52° | 1.8" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 65° – 72° |
| October | 77° | 40° | 1.0" | 0.1" | 4 | 0 | 56° – 63° |
| November | 65° | 29° | 0.8" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 41° – 55° |
| December | 56° | 23° | 1.2" | 0.2" | 4 | 0 | 36° – 43° |
| Year | 75° | 40° | 13.7" | 1.9" | 51 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 41° to 55°. July is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Buckhorn’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 Buckhorn’s center.
- Snow: Buckhorn, NM (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Cliff 11 Se, NM, 18 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 Buckhorn’s climate
What is the weather like in Buckhorn?
A typical July afternoon reaches 92°, a January night drops to 23°, and about 2 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 55% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 89% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Buckhorn in winter?
January nights average 23°. About 156 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 36°.
How much snow does Buckhorn get?
About 1.9 inches in a normal winter at Buckhorn, NM, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 0 days a year.
How hot does it get in Buckhorn?
July, with a typical high of 92° and a low of 60°. About 65 days a year reach 90° and 4 reach 100° (Cliff 11 Se, NM).
When is the first and last frost in Buckhorn?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 9 and the first fall frost by October 15, about 157 frost-free days, at Cliff 11 Se, NM.
What growing zone is Buckhorn in?
Zone 7b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 9°.
What is the best time of year to visit Buckhorn?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Buckhorn getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.3° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 53% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Buckhorn.
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.