Photo: Jeffrey Beall · CC BY 4.0Few U.S. towns have colder winter nights than Costilla
High summer brings afternoon highs near 82°. Precipitation peaks in August and eases off in June. It is a dry place: less rain and snow fall here than on 94% of U.S. towns. The frost-free window for a garden runs roughly May 31 to September 23.
A year in Costilla at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Costilla’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Costilla’s place in New Mexico beside it.
What a year in Costilla feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 115 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 31 and the first by September 23. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at San Luis 1 S, CO, 16 miles from the town’s center, 150 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Costilla’s center in zone 5a: 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 62 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Cerro, NM, falls mostly in January and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 14 inches a year; August is the wettest month and June the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 64 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Costilla
99% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from October through May.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at San Luis 1 S, CO.
Living with Costilla’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
115 frost-free days in zone 5a. 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 23.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July and August. 2.4 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Costilla from natural hazards, avalanches are the largest share (59%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 2%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Costilla and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Costilla yet.
Climates most like Costilla’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Costilla, NM | 8° | 82° | 14" | 62" |
| Laramie, WY | 12° | 81° | 12" | 64" |
| Minot, ND | 2° | 82° | 17" | 52" |
| Rexburg, ID | 12° | 84° | 13" | 70" |
| Great Falls, MT | 13° | 84° | 13" | 66" |
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 Costilla averaged 1.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.9°).
A bigger shift than in 62% 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 Costilla compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Costilla’s place among New Mexico’s.
Costilla weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Costilla’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Cerro, NM. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 38° | 8° | 0.8" | 12.7" | 4 | 14 | 16° – 29° |
| February | 42° | 12° | 0.8" | 11.7" | 4 | 9 | 21° – 34° |
| March | 51° | 20° | 1.0" | 8.0" | 4 | 4 | 32° – 41° |
| April | 59° | 26° | 1.1" | 4.3" | 5 | 1 | 38° – 47° |
| May | 68° | 34° | 1.2" | 0.7" | 5 | 0 | 47° – 56° |
| June | 79° | 42° | 0.8" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 56° – 64° |
| July | 82° | 48° | 1.9" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 62° – 69° |
| August | 79° | 46° | 2.2" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 60° – 67° |
| September | 73° | 39° | 1.6" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 51° – 59° |
| October | 62° | 28° | 1.2" | 3.4" | 4 | 0 | 42° – 50° |
| November | 49° | 18° | 0.9" | 6.8" | 4 | 3 | 25° – 40° |
| December | 39° | 8° | 0.9" | 13.9" | 5 | 11 | 18° – 29° |
| Year | 60° | 27° | 14.3" | 61.5" | 64 | 42 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 25° to 40°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Costilla’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 Costilla’s center.
- Snow: Cerro, NM.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: San Luis 1 S, CO, 16 miles from the town’s center, 150 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 Costilla’s climate
What is the weather like in Costilla?
A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to 8°, and about 62 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 96% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 83% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Costilla in winter?
January nights average 8°. About 211 nights a year reach 32° or below and 23 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 16°.
How much snow does Costilla get?
About 62 inches in a normal winter at Cerro, NM, most of it in January and December, with snow on the ground about 42 days a year.
How hot does it get in Costilla?
July, with a typical high of 82° and a low of 48°. About 2 days a year reach 90° (San Luis 1 S, CO).
When is the first and last frost in Costilla?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 31 and the first fall frost by September 23, about 115 frost-free days, at San Luis 1 S, CO.
What growing zone is Costilla in?
Zone 5a 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 Costilla?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), June, July and August. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Costilla getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.5° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 62% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Costilla.
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.