Dry weather: only 13 inches of rain and melted snow a year in Cliff, less than in 95% of U.S. towns
On a normal January night the air cools to about 23°. Summer afternoons here are warmer than in 92% of U.S. towns. Compared with 1901–2000, the average now sits 1.3° higher. Tender plants can go out after about May 9; in half of years the first frost comes by October 15.
A year in Cliff at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Cliff’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Cliff’s place in New Mexico beside it.
What a year in Cliff feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 157 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 9 and the first by October 15. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Cliff 11 Se, NM, 11 miles from the town’s center, 190 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Cliff’s center in zone 7b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 9°. 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 2 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Buckhorn, NM, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 13 inches a year; July is the wettest month and April the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 51 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Cliff
83% of the work is heating. Months averaging under 55° run from November through March.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Cliff 11 Se, NM.
Living with Cliff’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
157 frost-free days in zone 7b. 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 15.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: October. 3.3 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Cliff from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (65%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 2%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Cliff and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Cliff yet.
Climates most like Cliff’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cliff, NM | 23° | 93° | 13" | 1.9" |
| Guymon, OK | 22° | 94° | 18" | 2.7" |
| Emmett, ID | 23° | 93° | 13" | 7.4" |
| Seminole, TX | 29° | 94° | 16" | 4.8" |
| Fernley, NV | 25° | 93° | 6" | 4.5" |
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 Cliff averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.1°).
A smaller 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 Cliff compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Cliff’s place among New Mexico’s.
Cliff weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Cliff’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Buckhorn, NM. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 58° | 23° | 0.9" | 1.3" | 4 | 0 | 36° – 45° |
| February | 62° | 26° | 0.9" | 0.3" | 4 | 0 | 39° – 49° |
| March | 69° | 30° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 44° – 55° |
| April | 76° | 36° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 50° – 61° |
| May | 84° | 43° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 60° – 68° |
| June | 94° | 53° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 68° – 77° |
| July | 93° | 61° | 2.6" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 74° – 80° |
| August | 91° | 60° | 2.5" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 73° – 81° |
| September | 87° | 53° | 1.7" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 65° – 73° |
| October | 78° | 40° | 1.0" | 0.1" | 4 | 0 | 56° – 64° |
| November | 66° | 28° | 0.8" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 41° – 55° |
| December | 57° | 23° | 1.1" | 0.2" | 4 | 0 | 36° – 43° |
| Year | 76° | 40° | 13.0" | 1.9" | 51 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 41° to 55°. July is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Cliff’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 Cliff’s center.
- Snow: Buckhorn, NM.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Cliff 11 Se, NM, 11 miles from the town’s center, 190 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 Cliff’s climate
What is the weather like in Cliff?
A typical July afternoon reaches 93°, a January night drops to 23°, and about 2 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 54% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 92% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Cliff in winter?
January nights average 23°. About 156 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 36°.
How much snow does Cliff get?
About 1.9 inches in a normal winter at Buckhorn, NM, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 0 days a year.
How hot does it get in Cliff?
July, with a typical high of 93° and a low of 61°. About 65 days a year reach 90° and 4 reach 100° (Cliff 11 Se, NM).
When is the first and last frost in Cliff?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 9 and the first fall frost by October 15, about 157 frost-free days, at Cliff 11 Se, NM.
What growing zone is Cliff in?
Zone 7b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 9°.
What is the best time of year to visit Cliff?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Cliff getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.3° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 54% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Cliff.
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.