Abo · Photo: en:User:Nationalparks · CC BY-SA 2.5Precipitation in Deer Canyon trails that of 94% of U.S. towns: 14 inches a year
High summer brings afternoon highs near 85°. The seasons are far apart: from a winter night to a summer afternoon the average spans 64°. Garden planting can start around May 2; autumn frost returns near October 19.
A year in Deer Canyon at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Deer Canyon’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Deer Canyon’s place in New Mexico beside it.
What a year in Deer Canyon feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 167 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 2 and the first by October 19. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Mountainair, NM, 7 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Deer Canyon’s center in zone 7a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 3°. 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 14 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Mountainair, NM, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 14 inches a year; July is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 47 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Deer Canyon
87% 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 Mountainair, NM.
Living with Deer Canyon’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
167 frost-free days in zone 7a. The last frost comes by May 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 Oct 19.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, August and September. 1.0 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Deer Canyon from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (70%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 2%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Deer Canyon and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Deer Canyon yet.
Climates most like Deer Canyon’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deer Canyon, NM | 22° | 85° | 14" | 14" |
| Hamilton, MT | 20° | 86° | 13" | 17" |
| Indian Hills, NV | 25° | 86° | 14" | 14" |
| Show Low, AZ | 19° | 86° | 15" | 19" |
| Bend, OR | 25° | 84° | 12" | 22" |
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 Deer Canyon averaged 2.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+3.2°).
A bigger shift than in 93% 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 Deer Canyon compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Deer Canyon’s place among New Mexico’s.
Deer Canyon weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Deer Canyon’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Mountainair, NM. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 45° | 22° | 0.6" | 2.7" | 3 | 1 | 26° – 39° |
| February | 50° | 25° | 0.5" | 3.2" | 3 | 1 | 31° – 42° |
| March | 58° | 30° | 0.7" | 2.0" | 3 | 0 | 40° – 49° |
| April | 65° | 35° | 0.5" | 0.6" | 2 | 0 | 45° – 55° |
| May | 75° | 43° | 0.9" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 55° – 64° |
| June | 85° | 52° | 0.9" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 65° – 73° |
| July | 85° | 57° | 2.7" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 67° – 75° |
| August | 83° | 56° | 2.6" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 66° – 73° |
| September | 77° | 50° | 1.8" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 58° – 67° |
| October | 67° | 39° | 1.3" | 0.2" | 4 | 0 | 49° – 58° |
| November | 54° | 29° | 0.7" | 1.2" | 3 | 0 | 35° – 48° |
| December | 45° | 22° | 0.9" | 4.2" | 3 | 1 | 27° – 40° |
| Year | 66° | 38° | 14.0" | 14.1" | 47 | 4 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 35° to 48°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Deer Canyon’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 Deer Canyon’s center.
- Snow: Mountainair, NM.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Mountainair, NM, 7 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 Deer Canyon’s climate
What is the weather like in Deer Canyon?
A typical July afternoon reaches 85°, a January night drops to 22°, and about 14 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 51% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 51% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Deer Canyon in winter?
December nights average 22°. About 153 nights a year reach 32° or below and 2 reach 0° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 27°.
How much snow does Deer Canyon get?
About 14 inches in a normal winter at Mountainair, NM, most of it in December, with snow on the ground about 4 days a year.
How hot does it get in Deer Canyon?
July, with a typical high of 85° and a low of 57°. About 39 days a year reach 90° (Mountainair, NM).
When is the first and last frost in Deer Canyon?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 2 and the first fall frost by October 19, about 167 frost-free days, at Mountainair, NM.
What growing zone is Deer Canyon in?
Zone 7a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 3°.
What is the best time of year to visit Deer Canyon?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, August and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Deer Canyon getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 2.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 93% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Deer Canyon.
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.