Chope's Town Cafe and Bar · Photo: Treecholla · CC BY-SA 4.0Chaparral reaches 100° on about 19 days a year, more than 95% of U.S. towns
A typical July afternoon reaches 95°, a January night drops to 31°, and snow is almost unheard of.
A year in Chaparral at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Chaparral’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Chaparral’s place in New Mexico beside it.
What a year in Chaparral feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 264 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by February 28 and the first by November 20. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at La Tuna 1 S, TX, 12 miles from the town’s center, 200 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Chaparral’s center in zone 8b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 16°. 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 9 inches of rain a year
July is the wettest month and April the driest. Rain falls on about 30 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at La Tuna 1 S, TX, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Chaparral
49% of the work is heating, so air conditioning is the bigger bill. Months averaging under 55° run from November through February.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at La Tuna 1 S, TX.
Living with Chaparral’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
264 frost-free days in zone 8b. The last frost comes by Feb 28 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 20.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: March, April and October. 15 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Chaparral from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (70%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 15%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Chaparral and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Chaparral in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Chaparral’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chaparral, NM | 31° | 95° | 9" | 0.0" |
| Douglas, AZ | 31° | 94° | 13" | 0.5" |
| Quartz Hill, CA | 35° | 96° | 7" | 0.0" |
| Fort Stockton, TX | 33° | 96° | 13" | 1.4" |
| Finley, WA | 29° | 91° | 9" | 2.0" |
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 Chaparral averaged 2.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.9°).
A bigger shift than in 89% 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 Chaparral compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Chaparral’s place among New Mexico’s.
Chaparral weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Chaparral’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from La Tuna 1 S, TX. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 58° | 31° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 40° – 48° |
| February | 63° | 35° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 44° – 54° |
| March | 71° | 41° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 52° – 62° |
| April | 79° | 48° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 58° – 68° |
| May | 88° | 57° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 68° – 76° |
| June | 96° | 66° | 0.7" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 77° – 85° |
| July | 95° | 70° | 2.0" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 77° – 87° |
| August | 93° | 68° | 1.7" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 77° – 86° |
| September | 88° | 62° | 1.5" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 69° – 78° |
| October | 79° | 50° | 0.8" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 61° – 69° |
| November | 67° | 38° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 46° – 59° |
| December | 57° | 31° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 39° – 48° |
| Year | 78° | 50° | 9.3" | 0.0" | 30 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 46° to 59°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Chaparral’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 Chaparral’s center.
- Snow: La Tuna 1 S, TX.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: La Tuna 1 S, TX, 12 miles from the town’s center, 200 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 Chaparral’s climate
What is the weather like in Chaparral?
A typical July afternoon reaches 95°, a January night drops to 31°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 73% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 95% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Chaparral in winter?
December nights average 31°. About 53 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 39°.
How much snow does Chaparral get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at La Tuna 1 S, TX, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Chaparral?
July, with a typical high of 95° and a low of 70°. About 114 days a year reach 90° and 19 reach 100° (La Tuna 1 S, TX).
When is the first and last frost in Chaparral?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by February 28 and the first fall frost by November 20, about 264 frost-free days, at La Tuna 1 S, TX.
What growing zone is Chaparral in?
Zone 8b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 16°.
What is the best time of year to visit Chaparral?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), March, April and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Chaparral getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 2.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 89% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Chaparral.
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.