Photo: Public domain · Public domainCapitan is drier than 92% of U.S. towns: 16 inches of precipitation a year
In January the night’s low is typically 21°. The seasons are far apart: from a winter night to a summer afternoon the average spans 65°. Central heating does most of its work from November to March, in months below 50° on average.
A year in Capitan at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Capitan’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Capitan’s place in New Mexico beside it.
What a year in Capitan feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 161 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 3 and the first by October 12. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Capitan, NM, 0.6 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Capitan’s center in zone 7a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 2°. 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 27 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Capitan, NM, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 16 inches a year; July is the wettest month and April the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 60 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Capitan
91% 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 Capitan, NM.
Living with Capitan’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
161 frost-free days in zone 7a. The last frost comes by May 3 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 12.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, August and September. 0.0 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Capitan from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (55%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 1%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Capitan and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Capitan yet.
Climates most like Capitan’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Capitan, NM | 21° | 85° | 16" | 27" |
| Cimarron Hills, CO | 18° | 85° | 17" | 33" |
| Show Low, AZ | 19° | 86° | 15" | 19" |
| Deschutes River Woods, OR | 24° | 84° | 13" | 22" |
| Hamilton, MT | 20° | 86° | 13" | 17" |
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 Capitan averaged 1.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.8°).
A bigger shift than in 82% 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 Capitan compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Capitan’s place among New Mexico’s.
Capitan weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Capitan’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Capitan, NM. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 50° | 21° | 0.6" | 6.1" | 4 | 4 | 31° – 40° |
| February | 54° | 24° | 0.6" | 3.6" | 3 | 1 | 34° – 43° |
| March | 61° | 28° | 0.6" | 5.3" | 3 | 1 | 41° – 49° |
| April | 68° | 34° | 0.5" | 1.1" | 3 | 0 | 46° – 56° |
| May | 76° | 42° | 0.9" | 0.1" | 3 | 0 | 55° – 65° |
| June | 85° | 50° | 1.3" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 65° – 71° |
| July | 85° | 55° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 66° – 73° |
| August | 83° | 53° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 66° – 72° |
| September | 78° | 47° | 2.2" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 58° – 66° |
| October | 69° | 36° | 1.4" | 1.0" | 4 | 0 | 50° – 57° |
| November | 58° | 26° | 0.6" | 1.4" | 2 | 1 | 35° – 48° |
| December | 50° | 21° | 1.0" | 8.7" | 4 | 5 | 30° – 41° |
| Year | 68° | 36° | 16.0" | 27.3" | 60 | 12 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 35° to 48°. August is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Capitan’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 Capitan’s center.
- Snow: Capitan, NM (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Capitan, NM, 0.6 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 Capitan’s climate
What is the weather like in Capitan?
A typical July afternoon reaches 85°, a January night drops to 21°, and about 27 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 56% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 54% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Capitan in winter?
January nights average 21°. About 141 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 31°.
How much snow does Capitan get?
About 27 inches in a normal winter at Capitan, NM, most of it in December, with snow on the ground about 12 days a year.
How hot does it get in Capitan?
July, with a typical high of 85° and a low of 55°. About 16 days a year reach 90° (Capitan, NM).
When is the first and last frost in Capitan?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 3 and the first fall frost by October 12, about 161 frost-free days, at Capitan, NM.
What growing zone is Capitan in?
Zone 7a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 2°.
What is the best time of year to visit Capitan?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, August and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Capitan getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.8° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 82% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Capitan.
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.