Cañada de los Alamos is drier than 92% of U.S. towns: 16 inches of precipitation a year
Peak summer warmth arrives in July, with afternoons near 81°. Seasons differ by 61°, from the coldest nights to the warmest afternoons. Its July afternoons stay fresher than in 88% of U.S. towns. Central heating does most of its work from October to April, in months below 50° on average.
A year in Cañada de los Alamos at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Cañada de los Alamos’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Cañada de los Alamos’ place in New Mexico beside it.
What a year in Cañada de los Alamos feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 144 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 14 and the first by October 6. Frost and day counts come from Santa Fe 2, NM, 7 miles away.
The 2023 USDA map puts Cañada de los Alamos’ center in zone 6b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −1°. 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 28 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Santa Fe Seton, NM, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 16 inches a year; July is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 75 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Cañada de los Alamos
93% 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 Santa Fe 2, NM.
Living with Cañada de los Alamos’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
144 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by May 14 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 6.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July, August and September. 5.3 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Cañada de los Alamos from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (52%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 2%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Cañada de los Alamos and its neighbors
Cañoncito has the coldest January nights next door (19°, 1° colder) and Cañoncito the hottest July afternoons (85°, 4° warmer). Differences under a degree are within what the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Cañada de los Alamos’, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cañada de los Alamos, NM | 20° | 81° | 16" | 28" |
| Polson, MT | 20° | 83° | 19" | 34" |
| Deschutes River Woods, OR | 24° | 84° | 13" | 22" |
| Pullman, WA | 27° | 84° | 20" | 33" |
| Cimarron Hills, CO | 18° | 85° | 17" | 33" |
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value. Snow and frost-free days come from the nearest weather station, so neighbors often share them.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Cañada de los Alamos averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.6°).
A smaller shift than in 56% 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 Cañada de los Alamos compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Cañada de los Alamos’ place among New Mexico’s.
Cañada de los Alamos weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Cañada de los Alamos’ center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Santa Fe Seton, NM. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 41° | 20° | 0.9" | 5.0" | 5 | 13 | 25° – 37° |
| February | 44° | 21° | 0.7" | 5.5" | 6 | 7 | 27° – 38° |
| March | 52° | 26° | 0.9" | 4.2" | 5 | 2 | 35° – 44° |
| April | 59° | 32° | 0.8" | 1.1" | 4 | 1 | 41° – 51° |
| May | 69° | 40° | 1.1" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 50° – 60° |
| June | 79° | 49° | 1.2" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 60° – 68° |
| July | 81° | 54° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 64° – 72° |
| August | 78° | 52° | 2.8" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 63° – 69° |
| September | 73° | 46° | 1.6" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 54° – 63° |
| October | 62° | 36° | 1.4" | 0.5" | 6 | 0 | 45° – 53° |
| November | 50° | 26° | 1.0" | 3.2" | 5 | 2 | 31° – 44° |
| December | 40° | 20° | 0.9" | 8.6" | 6 | 11 | 25° – 34° |
| Year | 61° | 35° | 16.3" | 28.1" | 75 | 37 |
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 44°. August is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Cañada de los Alamos’ 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 Cañada de los Alamos’ center.
- Snow: Santa Fe Seton, NM.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Santa Fe 2, NM, 7 miles from the town’s center, 890 ft lower; 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 Cañada de los Alamos’ climate
What is the weather like in Cañada de los Alamos?
A typical July afternoon reaches 81°, a January night drops to 20°, and about 28 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 59% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 88% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Cañada de los Alamos in winter?
December nights average 20°. About 168 nights a year reach 32° or below and 2 reach 0° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 25°.
How much snow does Cañada de los Alamos get?
About 28 inches in a normal winter at Santa Fe Seton, NM, most of it in December, with snow on the ground about 37 days a year.
How hot does it get in Cañada de los Alamos?
July, with a typical high of 81° and a low of 54°. About 24 days a year reach 90° (Santa Fe 2, NM).
When is the first and last frost in Cañada de los Alamos?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 14 and the first fall frost by October 6, about 144 frost-free days, at Santa Fe 2, NM.
What growing zone is Cañada de los Alamos in?
Zone 6b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −1°.
What is the best time of year to visit Cañada de los Alamos?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), June, July, August and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Cañada de los Alamos getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.3° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 56% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Cañada de los Alamos.
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.