Photo: John Phelan · CC BY 3.0Cedar Crest is drier than 92% of U.S. towns: 17 inches of precipitation a year
Expect July afternoons of about 85°. Compared with 1901–2000, the average now sits 1.8° higher. Garden planting can start around May 9; autumn frost returns near October 9.
A year in Cedar Crest at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Cedar Crest’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Cedar Crest’s place in New Mexico beside it.
What a year in Cedar Crest feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 152 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 9 and the first by October 9. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Sandia Park, NM, 7 miles from the town’s center, 230 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Cedar Crest’s center in zone 7a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 3°. 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 17 inches of rain a year
July is the wettest month and May the driest.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Cedar Crest
95% 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 Sandia Park, NM.
Living with Cedar Crest’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
152 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 9.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, August and September. 6.7 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Cedar Crest from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (58%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 3%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Cedar Crest and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Cedar Crest yet.
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 Cedar Crest averaged 1.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+3.1°).
A bigger shift than in 81% 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 Cedar Crest compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Cedar Crest’s place among New Mexico’s.
Cedar Crest weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Cedar Crest’s center. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 43° | 20° | 1.2" | 26° – 37° |
| February | 47° | 23° | 1.2" | 30° – 40° |
| March | 56° | 28° | 1.2" | 38° – 47° |
| April | 63° | 33° | 0.8" | 44° – 53° |
| May | 73° | 41° | 0.8" | 52° – 62° |
| June | 83° | 50° | 0.8" | 62° – 70° |
| July | 85° | 55° | 3.0" | 67° – 74° |
| August | 82° | 54° | 2.6" | 64° – 71° |
| September | 76° | 47° | 1.5" | 56° – 65° |
| October | 65° | 37° | 1.4" | 48° – 56° |
| November | 52° | 27° | 1.0" | 32° – 47° |
| December | 43° | 20° | 1.5" | 27° – 37° |
| Year | 64° | 36° | 16.8" |
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 47°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Cedar Crest’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 Cedar Crest’s center.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Sandia Park, NM, 7 miles from the town’s center, 230 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 Cedar Crest’s climate
What is the weather like in Cedar Crest?
A typical July afternoon reaches 85°, a January night drops to 20°. Colder January nights than 59% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 55% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Cedar Crest in winter?
January nights average 20°. About 171 nights a year reach 32° or below and 3 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 26°.
How hot does it get in Cedar Crest?
July, with a typical high of 85° and a low of 55°. About 8 days a year reach 90° (Sandia Park, NM).
When is the first and last frost in Cedar Crest?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 9 and the first fall frost by October 9, about 152 frost-free days, at Sandia Park, NM.
What growing zone is Cedar Crest in?
Zone 7a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 3°.
What is the best time of year to visit Cedar Crest?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June, August and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Cedar Crest getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.8° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 81% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Cedar Crest.
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.