Dexter reaches 100° on about 26 days a year, more than 97% of U.S. towns
On a normal January night the air cools to about 25°. July is the wettest month here, with about 5.2 times the rain of February. Precipitation is light here, less than falls on 95% of U.S. towns. Garden planting can start around March 29; autumn frost returns near November 7.
A year in Dexter at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Dexter’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Dexter’s place in New Mexico beside it.
What a year in Dexter feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 223 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 29 and the first by November 7. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Roswell Ind Air Park, NM, 11 miles from the town’s center, 180 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Dexter’s center in zone 7b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 8°. 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 10 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Roswell Ind Air Park, NM, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 12 inches a year; July is the wettest month and February 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 Dexter
56% 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 Roswell Ind Air Park, NM.
Living with Dexter’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
223 frost-free days in zone 7b. The last frost comes by Mar 29 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.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Dexter from natural hazards, drought is the largest share (53%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 6%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Dexter and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Dexter yet.
Climates most like Dexter’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dexter, NM | 25° | 97° | 12" | 9.6" |
| Moab, UT | 20° | 98° | 8" | 9.3" |
| Weiser, ID | 22° | 94° | 13" | 15" |
| Ontario, OR | 23° | 93° | 10" | 15" |
| Socorro, TX | 31° | 97° | 9" | 2.8" |
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 Dexter averaged 2.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.7°).
A bigger shift than in 90% 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 Dexter compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Dexter’s place among New Mexico’s.
Dexter weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Dexter’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Roswell Ind Air Park, NM. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 58° | 25° | 0.4" | 2.4" | 3 | 2 | 36° – 46° |
| February | 63° | 29° | 0.4" | 1.1" | 3 | 1 | 42° – 52° |
| March | 72° | 36° | 0.5" | 0.7" | 3 | 0 | 49° – 59° |
| April | 80° | 43° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 56° – 66° |
| May | 88° | 53° | 1.1" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 66° – 78° |
| June | 97° | 62° | 1.2" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 74° – 83° |
| July | 97° | 66° | 2.0" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 78° – 87° |
| August | 95° | 65° | 1.7" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 76° – 86° |
| September | 88° | 58° | 1.9" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 67° – 78° |
| October | 78° | 45° | 1.4" | 0.4" | 5 | 0 | 59° – 66° |
| November | 66° | 33° | 0.5" | 1.2" | 3 | 1 | 43° – 55° |
| December | 57° | 25° | 0.6" | 3.8" | 4 | 2 | 34° – 45° |
| Year | 78° | 45° | 12.4" | 9.6" | 51 | 6 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. May swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 66° to 78°. October is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Dexter’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 Dexter’s center.
- Snow: Roswell Ind Air Park, NM.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Roswell Ind Air Park, NM, 11 miles from the town’s center, 180 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 Dexter’s climate
What is the weather like in Dexter?
A typical July afternoon reaches 97°, a January night drops to 25°, and about 10 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 64% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 97% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Dexter in winter?
January nights average 25°. About 87 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 36°.
How much snow does Dexter get?
About 9.6 inches in a normal winter at Roswell Ind Air Park, NM, most of it in December, with snow on the ground about 6 days a year.
How hot does it get in Dexter?
July, with a typical high of 97° and a low of 66°. About 110 days a year reach 90° and 26 reach 100° (Roswell Ind Air Park, NM).
When is the first and last frost in Dexter?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 29 and the first fall frost by November 7, about 223 frost-free days, at Roswell Ind Air Park, NM.
What growing zone is Dexter in?
Zone 7b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 8°.
What is the best time of year to visit Dexter?
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 Dexter getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 2.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 90% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Dexter.
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.