Caballo reaches 100° on about 29 days a year, more than 97% of U.S. towns
Midwinter brings lows of about 26°. July is the wettest month, March the driest. Its yearly precipitation falls short of 98% of U.S. towns. Tender plants can go out after about March 25; in half of years the first frost comes by November 6.
A year in Caballo at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Caballo’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Caballo’s place in New Mexico beside it.
What a year in Caballo feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 224 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 25 and the first by November 6. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Caballo Dam, NM, 6 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Caballo’s center in zone 8a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 12°. 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 10 inches of rain a year
July is the wettest month and March the driest. Rain falls on about 46 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.4" in a normal year at Caballo Dam, NM, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Caballo
56% 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 Caballo Dam, NM.
Living with Caballo’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
224 frost-free days in zone 8a. The last frost comes by Mar 25 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Nov 6.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April and October.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Caballo from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (75%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 3%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Caballo and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Caballo yet.
Climates most like Caballo’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Caballo, NM | 26° | 96° | 10" | 0.4" |
| Kermit, TX | 30° | 98° | 12" | 1.9" |
| Page, AZ | 28° | 99° | 7" | 0.6" |
| Mojave, CA | 33° | 97° | 8" | 1.2" |
| Fallon, NV | 22° | 96° | 4" | 4.5" |
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 Caballo averaged 1.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.3°).
A bigger shift than in 66% 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 Caballo compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Caballo’s place among New Mexico’s.
Caballo weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Caballo’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Caballo Dam, NM. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 58° | 26° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 37° – 47° |
| February | 64° | 30° | 0.4" | 0.2" | 2 | 0 | 42° – 52° |
| March | 71° | 36° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 50° – 59° |
| April | 79° | 42° | 0.3" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 55° – 66° |
| May | 88° | 51° | 0.3" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 66° – 74° |
| June | 97° | 61° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 74° – 83° |
| July | 96° | 66° | 1.9" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 77° – 84° |
| August | 94° | 64° | 1.9" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 76° – 83° |
| September | 88° | 57° | 1.6" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 68° – 76° |
| October | 79° | 45° | 0.9" | 0.1" | 4 | 0 | 59° – 66° |
| November | 67° | 34° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 44° – 58° |
| December | 58° | 26° | 0.6" | 0.1" | 3 | 0 | 37° – 46° |
| Year | 78° | 45° | 9.7" | 0.4" | 46 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 44° to 58°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Caballo’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 Caballo’s center.
- Snow: Caballo Dam, NM.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Caballo Dam, NM, 6 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 Caballo’s climate
What is the weather like in Caballo?
A typical July afternoon reaches 96°, a January night drops to 26°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 66% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 97% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Caballo in winter?
January nights average 26°. About 90 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 37°.
How much snow does Caballo get?
About 0.4 inches in a normal winter at Caballo Dam, NM, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Caballo?
July, with a typical high of 96° and a low of 66°. About 114 days a year reach 90° and 29 reach 100° (Caballo Dam, NM).
When is the first and last frost in Caballo?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 25 and the first fall frost by November 6, about 224 frost-free days, at Caballo Dam, NM.
What growing zone is Caballo in?
Zone 8a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 12°.
What is the best time of year to visit Caballo?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), April and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Caballo getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.6° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 66% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Caballo.
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.