Cotton City reaches 100° on about 15 days a year, more than 93% of U.S. towns
Deep winter brings January lows near 27°. Its yearly precipitation falls short of 97% of U.S. towns. Warming shows here too: 1.7° more than in 1901–2000, led by November. Homes need heating from December to February, the months averaging under 50°.
A year in Cotton City at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Cotton City’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Cotton City’s place in New Mexico beside it.
What a year in Cotton City feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 218 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 2 and the first by November 7. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Animas 3ese, NM, 14 miles from the town’s center, 280 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Cotton City’s center in zone 8a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 12°. 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 4 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Animas 3ese, NM, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 11 inches a year; August is the wettest month and May the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 45 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Cotton City
61% 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 Animas 3ese, NM.
Living with Cotton City’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
218 frost-free days in zone 8a. The last frost comes by Apr 2 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 7.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April and October. 1.4 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Cotton City from natural hazards, drought is the largest share (37%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 8%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Cotton City and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Cotton City yet.
Climates most like Cotton City’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cotton City, NM | 27° | 95° | 11" | 3.6" |
| Homestead Meadows South, TX | 30° | 96° | 10" | 2.8" |
| Fernley, NV | 25° | 93° | 6" | 4.5" |
| Star, ID | 24° | 93° | 11" | 7.4" |
| Chino Valley, AZ | 27° | 92° | 11" | 10" |
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 Cotton City averaged 1.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in November (+2.4°).
A bigger shift than in 71% 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 Cotton City compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Cotton City’s place among New Mexico’s.
Cotton City weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Cotton City’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Animas 3ese, NM. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 59° | 27° | 0.8" | 1.7" | 4 | 39° – 47° |
| February | 64° | 31° | 0.7" | 0.5" | 4 | 43° – 52° |
| March | 71° | 35° | 0.5" | 0.3" | 3 | 49° – 59° |
| April | 79° | 41° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 1 | 54° – 65° |
| May | 88° | 49° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 2 | 64° – 73° |
| June | 97° | 59° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 3 | 73° – 82° |
| July | 95° | 66° | 2.2" | 0.0" | 8 | 78° – 83° |
| August | 93° | 64° | 2.3" | 0.0" | 8 | 75° – 83° |
| September | 89° | 58° | 1.0" | 0.0" | 4 | 69° – 76° |
| October | 80° | 45° | 0.7" | 0.0" | 3 | 60° – 67° |
| November | 68° | 34° | 0.6" | 0.2" | 2 | 44° – 59° |
| December | 58° | 27° | 1.0" | 0.9" | 4 | 39° – 46° |
| Year | 78° | 45° | 10.5" | 3.6" | 45 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 44° to 59°. July is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Cotton City’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 Cotton City’s center.
- Snow: Animas 3ese, NM.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Animas 3ese, NM, 14 miles from the town’s center, 280 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 Cotton City’s climate
What is the weather like in Cotton City?
A typical July afternoon reaches 95°, a January night drops to 27°, and about 4 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 68% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 95% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Cotton City in winter?
December nights average 27°. About 74 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 39°.
How much snow does Cotton City get?
About 3.6 inches in a normal winter at Animas 3ese, NM, most of it in January.
How hot does it get in Cotton City?
July, with a typical high of 95° and a low of 66°. About 97 days a year reach 90° and 15 reach 100° (Animas 3ese, NM).
When is the first and last frost in Cotton City?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 2 and the first fall frost by November 7, about 218 frost-free days, at Animas 3ese, NM.
What growing zone is Cotton City in?
Zone 8a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 12°.
What is the best time of year to visit Cotton City?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), April and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Cotton City getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.7° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 71% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Cotton City.
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.