Photo: Cbaer at English Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0Less rain and snow falls on Carrizozo than on 94% of U.S. towns: 14 inches a year
Midwinter brings lows of about 22°. Expect the heaviest rain or snow in July and the lightest in April. In July, afternoons here are warmer than in 74% of U.S. towns. For walks and days out, May and September bring highs of 81–82°.
A year in Carrizozo at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Carrizozo’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Carrizozo’s place in New Mexico beside it.
What a year in Carrizozo feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 175 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 27 and the first by October 20. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Carrizozo 1sw, NM, 3 miles from the town’s center, 110 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Carrizozo’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 7 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Carrizozo 1sw, NM, falls mostly in December. 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 44 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Carrizozo
81% of the work is heating. Months averaging under 55° run from November 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 Carrizozo 1sw, NM.
Living with Carrizozo’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
175 frost-free days in zone 7a. The last frost comes by Apr 27 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 20.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May and September. 14 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Carrizozo from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (68%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 3%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Carrizozo and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Carrizozo yet.
Climates most like Carrizozo’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carrizozo, NM | 22° | 89° | 14" | 7.0" |
| Snowflake, AZ | 20° | 90° | 10" | 13" |
| Carson City, NV | 23° | 90° | 11" | 14" |
| Prineville, OR | 25° | 87° | 11" | 8.8" |
| East Wenatchee, WA | 24° | 88° | 10" | 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 Carrizozo averaged 1.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.8°).
A bigger shift than in 77% 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 Carrizozo compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Carrizozo’s place among New Mexico’s.
Carrizozo weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Carrizozo’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Carrizozo 1sw, NM. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 52° | 22° | 0.7" | 2.1" | 3 | 31° – 42° |
| February | 57° | 25° | 0.6" | 0.8" | 3 | 37° – 45° |
| March | 64° | 31° | 0.6" | 1.0" | 3 | 43° – 52° |
| April | 72° | 37° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 2 | 49° – 60° |
| May | 81° | 46° | 0.7" | 0.0" | 3 | 59° – 68° |
| June | 90° | 54° | 1.0" | 0.0" | 4 | 69° – 75° |
| July | 89° | 59° | 2.7" | 0.0" | 7 | 69° – 77° |
| August | 88° | 57° | 2.3" | 0.0" | 7 | 70° – 77° |
| September | 82° | 51° | 1.5" | 0.0" | 4 | 61° – 69° |
| October | 72° | 39° | 1.4" | 0.3" | 3 | 53° – 60° |
| November | 61° | 28° | 0.6" | 0.3" | 2 | 37° – 51° |
| December | 51° | 22° | 1.0" | 2.5" | 3 | 31° – 42° |
| Year | 71° | 39° | 13.5" | 7.0" | 44 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 37° to 51°. June is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Carrizozo’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 Carrizozo’s center.
- Snow: Carrizozo 1sw, NM.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Carrizozo 1sw, NM, 3 miles from the town’s center, 110 ft lower; 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 Carrizozo’s climate
What is the weather like in Carrizozo?
A typical July afternoon reaches 89°, a January night drops to 22°, and about 7 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 52% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 74% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Carrizozo in winter?
January nights average 22°. About 130 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 31°.
How much snow does Carrizozo get?
About 7.0 inches in a normal winter at Carrizozo 1sw, NM, most of it in December.
How hot does it get in Carrizozo?
July, with a typical high of 89° and a low of 59°. About 64 days a year reach 90° and 3 reach 100° (Carrizozo 1sw, NM).
When is the first and last frost in Carrizozo?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 27 and the first fall frost by October 20, about 175 frost-free days, at Carrizozo 1sw, NM.
What growing zone is Carrizozo 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 Carrizozo?
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 Carrizozo getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.8° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 77% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Carrizozo.
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.