El Santuario de Chimayo · Photo: Andrea Stawitcke · CC BY 2.5Chimayo’s winters are colder but less snowy than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 88°, a January night drops to 18°, and about 11 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Chimayo at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Chimayo’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Chimayo’s place in New Mexico beside it.
What a year in Chimayo feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 149 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 11 and the first by October 6. Frost and day counts come from Espanola, NM, 6 miles away.
The 2023 USDA map puts Chimayo’s center in zone 7a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 0°. 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 11 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Alcalde, NM, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 12 inches a year; July is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 55 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Chimayo
89% 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 Espanola, NM.
Living with Chimayo’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
149 frost-free days in zone 7a. The last frost comes by May 11 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 6.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May and September. 3.8 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Chimayo from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (78%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 2%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Chimayo and its neighbors
La Puebla the hottest July afternoons (90°, 2° 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 Chimayo’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chimayo, NM | 18° | 88° | 12" | 11" |
| Blackfoot, ID | 16° | 88° | 11" | 15" |
| Hamilton, MT | 20° | 86° | 13" | 17" |
| Show Low, AZ | 19° | 86° | 15" | 19" |
| Cold Springs, NV | 23° | 88° | 13" | 17" |
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 Chimayo averaged 1.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.7°).
A bigger shift than in 56% 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 Chimayo compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Chimayo’s place among New Mexico’s.
Chimayo weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Chimayo’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Alcalde, NM. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 45° | 18° | 0.7" | 2.2" | 3 | 2 | 27° – 37° |
| February | 50° | 22° | 0.5" | 1.5" | 3 | 1 | 31° – 42° |
| March | 59° | 27° | 0.7" | 1.4" | 4 | 1 | 40° – 48° |
| April | 66° | 34° | 0.6" | 0.3" | 4 | 0 | 45° – 54° |
| May | 75° | 42° | 0.7" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 54° – 63° |
| June | 86° | 51° | 0.8" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 64° – 72° |
| July | 88° | 57° | 2.2" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 69° – 76° |
| August | 85° | 55° | 1.9" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 67° – 73° |
| September | 79° | 47° | 1.3" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 58° – 66° |
| October | 68° | 35° | 1.2" | 0.6" | 5 | 0 | 48° – 55° |
| November | 55° | 25° | 0.8" | 1.4" | 3 | 1 | 33° – 46° |
| December | 44° | 18° | 0.8" | 3.3" | 3 | 3 | 26° – 35° |
| Year | 67° | 36° | 12.1" | 10.7" | 55 | 7 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 33° to 46°. August is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Chimayo’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 Chimayo’s center.
- Snow: Alcalde, NM.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Espanola, NM, 6 miles from the town’s center, 560 ft lower; no station nearby passes every check; this is the nearest one in the same valley, flagged above.
- 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 Chimayo’s climate
What is the weather like in Chimayo?
A typical July afternoon reaches 88°, a January night drops to 18°, and about 11 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 72% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 66% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Chimayo in winter?
January nights average 18°. About 174 nights a year reach 32° or below and 2 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 27°.
How much snow does Chimayo get?
About 11 inches in a normal winter at Alcalde, NM, most of it in December, with snow on the ground about 7 days a year.
How hot does it get in Chimayo?
July, with a typical high of 88° and a low of 57°. About 51 days a year reach 90° and 2 reach 100° (Espanola, NM).
When is the first and last frost in Chimayo?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 11 and the first fall frost by October 6, about 149 frost-free days, at Espanola, NM.
What growing zone is Chimayo in?
Zone 7a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 0°.
What is the best time of year to visit Chimayo?
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 Chimayo getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.5° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 56% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Chimayo.
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.