Cañon sits near the bottom of U.S. towns for precipitation, with 12 inches a year
Peak summer warmth arrives in July, with afternoons near 89°. Rain follows the seasons: August brings about 4.4 times as much as February. In July, afternoons here are warmer than in 71% of U.S. towns. Keep the boiler serviced for the months from November to March, which average under 50°.
A year in Cañon at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Cañon’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Cañon’s place in New Mexico beside it.
What a year in Cañon feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 153 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 9 and the first by October 11. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Jemez Springs, NM, 8 miles from the town’s center, 190 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Cañon’s center in zone 7a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 4°. 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 23 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Jemez Springs, NM, falls mostly in January and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 12 inches a year; August is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 59 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Cañon
90% 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 Jemez Springs, NM.
Living with Cañon’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
153 frost-free days in zone 7a. 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 11.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May and September. 8.2 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Cañon from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (54%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 1%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Cañon and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Cañon yet.
Climates most like Cañon’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cañon, NM | 19° | 89° | 12" | 23" |
| Burley, ID | 21° | 89° | 10" | 21" |
| Cold Springs, NV | 23° | 88° | 13" | 17" |
| Fort Carson, CO | 18° | 89° | 15" | 33" |
| Richfield, UT | 16° | 90° | 11" | 18" |
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 Cañon averaged 1.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.2°).
A smaller shift than in 64% 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 Cañon compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Cañon’s place among New Mexico’s.
Cañon weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Cañon’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Jemez Springs, NM. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 45° | 19° | 0.7" | 6.1" | 4 | 6 | 27° – 38° |
| February | 50° | 23° | 0.5" | 2.7" | 4 | 2 | 30° – 42° |
| March | 58° | 29° | 0.7" | 3.5" | 4 | 1 | 40° – 48° |
| April | 66° | 34° | 0.6" | 1.6" | 3 | 0 | 46° – 54° |
| May | 76° | 43° | 0.7" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 55° – 65° |
| June | 87° | 52° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 65° – 73° |
| July | 89° | 58° | 2.1" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 70° – 77° |
| August | 86° | 56° | 2.2" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 68° – 75° |
| September | 79° | 49° | 1.4" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 59° – 67° |
| October | 68° | 37° | 1.2" | 0.4" | 4 | 0 | 50° – 57° |
| November | 54° | 27° | 0.8" | 2.6" | 4 | 1 | 33° – 47° |
| December | 45° | 20° | 0.7" | 5.9" | 4 | 4 | 27° – 38° |
| Year | 67° | 37° | 12.2" | 22.8" | 59 | 13 |
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 47°. July is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Cañon’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 Cañon’s center.
- Snow: Jemez Springs, NM.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Jemez Springs, NM, 8 miles from the town’s center, 190 ft higher; 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 Cañon’s climate
What is the weather like in Cañon?
A typical July afternoon reaches 89°, a January night drops to 19°, and about 23 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 63% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 71% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Cañon in winter?
January nights average 19°. About 160 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 27°.
How much snow does Cañon get?
About 23 inches in a normal winter at Jemez Springs, NM, most of it in January and December, with snow on the ground about 13 days a year.
How hot does it get in Cañon?
July, with a typical high of 89° and a low of 58°. About 42 days a year reach 90° (Jemez Springs, NM).
When is the first and last frost in Cañon?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 9 and the first fall frost by October 11, about 153 frost-free days, at Jemez Springs, NM.
What growing zone is Cañon in?
Zone 7a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 4°.
What is the best time of year to visit Cañon?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Cañon getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.2° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 64% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Cañon.
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.