Precipitation in Cuba trails that of 94% of U.S. towns: 13 inches a year
In July the day’s top temperature is typically 87°. Temperatures cover 75° across the year, low to high. Its January nights bite harder than in 91% of U.S. towns. Garden planting can start around May 30; autumn frost returns near September 28.
A year in Cuba at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Cuba’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Cuba’s place in New Mexico beside it.
What a year in Cuba feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 119 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 30 and the first by September 28. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Cuba, NM, 1.4 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Cuba’s center in zone 5b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −10°. 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 34 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Cuba, NM, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 13 inches a year; July is the wettest month and June the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 53 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Cuba
94% 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 Cuba, NM.
Living with Cuba’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
119 frost-free days in zone 5b. The last frost comes by May 30 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 28.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: September. 2.0 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Cuba from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (57%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 2%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Cuba and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Cuba yet.
Climates most like Cuba’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cuba, NM | 12° | 87° | 13" | 34" |
| Gypsum, CO | 11° | 86° | 14" | 39" |
| Lockwood, MT | 15° | 88° | 15" | 35" |
| Sheridan, WY | 11° | 89° | 15" | 33" |
| Alliance, NE | 13° | 88° | 17" | 45" |
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 Cuba averaged 1.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.4°).
A smaller shift than in 60% 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 Cuba compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Cuba’s place among New Mexico’s.
Cuba weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Cuba’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Cuba, NM. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 43° | 12° | 0.9" | 7.6" | 3 | 21° – 34° |
| February | 47° | 16° | 0.8" | 7.0" | 4 | 25° – 37° |
| March | 55° | 23° | 0.9" | 5.3" | 4 | 35° – 44° |
| April | 63° | 28° | 0.8" | 0.5" | 3 | 41° – 50° |
| May | 73° | 35° | 0.8" | 0.1" | 4 | 50° – 59° |
| June | 84° | 44° | 0.6" | 0.1" | 3 | 60° – 68° |
| July | 87° | 51° | 2.1" | 0.0" | 7 | 66° – 73° |
| August | 84° | 50° | 2.1" | 0.0" | 10 | 64° – 71° |
| September | 78° | 42° | 1.5" | 0.0" | 5 | 54° – 63° |
| October | 66° | 30° | 1.1" | 1.5" | 4 | 45° – 52° |
| November | 52° | 20° | 0.8" | 3.5" | 3 | 28° – 43° |
| December | 42° | 13° | 1.0" | 8.5" | 4 | 23° – 34° |
| Year | 65° | 30° | 13.3" | 34.1" | 53 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 28° to 43°. July is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Cuba’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 Cuba’s center.
- Snow: Cuba, NM (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Cuba, NM, 1.4 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height; 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 Cuba’s climate
What is the weather like in Cuba?
A typical July afternoon reaches 87°, a January night drops to 12°, and about 34 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 91% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 61% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Cuba in winter?
January nights average 12°. About 217 nights a year reach 32° or below and 15 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 21°.
How much snow does Cuba get?
About 34 inches in a normal winter at Cuba, NM, most of it in December.
How hot does it get in Cuba?
July, with a typical high of 87° and a low of 51°. About 20 days a year reach 90° (Cuba, NM).
When is the first and last frost in Cuba?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 30 and the first fall frost by September 28, about 119 frost-free days, at Cuba, NM.
What growing zone is Cuba in?
Zone 5b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −10°.
What is the best time of year to visit Cuba?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Cuba getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.2° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 60% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Cuba.
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.