Catalpa Canyon is among the driest of U.S. towns: 11 inches of precipitation a year
In July the day’s top temperature is typically 87°. Its January nights bite harder than in 76% of U.S. towns. Warming shows here too: 1.4° more than in 1901–2000, led by March. Seedlings are safe outdoors from about May 31, with the first autumn frost due around September 28.
A year in Catalpa Canyon at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Catalpa Canyon’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Catalpa Canyon’s place in New Mexico beside it.
What a year in Catalpa Canyon feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 119 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 31 and the first by September 28. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Gallup Muni Airport, 4 miles from the town’s center, 310 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Catalpa Canyon’s center in zone 6a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −7°. 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 21 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Gallup Sand & Gravel, NM, falls mostly in February and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 11 inches a year; August is the wettest month and June the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 68 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Catalpa Canyon
93% 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 Gallup Muni Airport.
Living with Catalpa Canyon’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
119 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by May 31 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Sep 28.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: September. 14 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Catalpa Canyon from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (60%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 22%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Catalpa Canyon and its neighbors
Gallup the hottest July afternoons (88°, 1° 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 Catalpa Canyon’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Catalpa Canyon, NM | 17° | 87° | 11" | 21" |
| Blackfoot, ID | 16° | 88° | 11" | 15" |
| Ephraim, UT | 14° | 89° | 12" | 20" |
| Hamilton, MT | 20° | 86° | 13" | 17" |
| Montrose, CO | 15° | 90° | 10" | 22" |
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 Catalpa Canyon averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.7°).
A bigger shift than in 54% 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 Catalpa Canyon compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Catalpa Canyon’s place among New Mexico’s.
Catalpa Canyon weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Catalpa Canyon’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Gallup Sand & Gravel, NM. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 45° | 17° | 0.9" | 4.5" | 6 | 9 | 25° – 37° |
| February | 49° | 20° | 0.7" | 5.7" | 5 | 5 | 29° – 40° |
| March | 57° | 26° | 0.7" | 2.0" | 4 | 1 | 36° – 46° |
| April | 64° | 31° | 0.5" | 0.7" | 4 | 0 | 43° – 52° |
| May | 74° | 39° | 0.6" | 0.5" | 4 | 0 | 52° – 60° |
| June | 85° | 47° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 61° – 71° |
| July | 87° | 55° | 1.6" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 68° – 75° |
| August | 84° | 54° | 1.8" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 67° – 73° |
| September | 79° | 46° | 1.3" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 58° – 65° |
| October | 67° | 34° | 1.0" | 0.4" | 5 | 0 | 47° – 55° |
| November | 55° | 23° | 0.8" | 1.6" | 4 | 2 | 32° – 46° |
| December | 45° | 16° | 0.8" | 5.2" | 6 | 7 | 24° – 37° |
| Year | 66° | 34° | 11.0" | 20.6" | 68 | 24 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 32° to 46°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Catalpa Canyon’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 Catalpa Canyon’s center.
- Snow: Gallup Sand & Gravel, NM.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Gallup Muni Airport, 4 miles from the town’s center, 310 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 Catalpa Canyon’s climate
What is the weather like in Catalpa Canyon?
A typical July afternoon reaches 87°, a January night drops to 17°, and about 21 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 76% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 64% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Catalpa Canyon in winter?
December nights average 16°. About 198 nights a year reach 32° or below and 8 reach 0° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 24°.
How much snow does Catalpa Canyon get?
About 21 inches in a normal winter at Gallup Sand & Gravel, NM, most of it in February and December, with snow on the ground about 24 days a year.
How hot does it get in Catalpa Canyon?
July, with a typical high of 87° and a low of 55°. About 35 days a year reach 90° (Gallup Muni Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Catalpa Canyon?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 31 and the first fall frost by September 28, about 119 frost-free days, at Gallup Muni Airport.
What growing zone is Catalpa Canyon in?
Zone 6a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −7°.
What is the best time of year to visit Catalpa Canyon?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Catalpa Canyon getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 54% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Catalpa Canyon.
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.