Less rain and snow falls on Duran than on 93% of U.S. towns: 15 inches a year
The warmest part of a July day comes in at 87° on average. Summer afternoons here are warmer than in 61% of U.S. towns. Compared with 1901–2000, the average now sits 1.9° higher. The outdoor season, with highs of 76–79°, runs through May and September.
A year in Duran at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Duran’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Duran’s place in New Mexico beside it.
What a year in Duran feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 150 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 9 and the first by October 6. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Pedernal 9 E, NM, 12 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Duran’s center in zone 7a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 0°. 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 26 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Pedernal 9 E, NM, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 15 inches a year; July is the wettest month and February 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 Duran
90% 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 Pedernal 9 E, NM.
Living with Duran’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
150 frost-free days in zone 7a. The last frost comes by May 9 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 6.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May and September.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Duran 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 →Duran and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Duran yet.
Climates most like Duran’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Duran, NM | 21° | 87° | 15" | 26" |
| Show Low, AZ | 19° | 86° | 15" | 19" |
| Security-Widefield, CO | 18° | 87° | 16" | 33" |
| Hamilton, MT | 20° | 86° | 13" | 17" |
| Cold Springs, NV | 23° | 88° | 13" | 17" |
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 Duran averaged 1.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+3.1°).
A bigger shift than in 83% 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 Duran compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Duran’s place among New Mexico’s.
Duran weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Duran’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Pedernal 9 E, NM. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 47° | 21° | 0.6" | 5.7" | 3 | 6 | 25° – 40° |
| February | 52° | 24° | 0.5" | 4.6" | 3 | 3 | 32° – 44° |
| March | 60° | 28° | 0.5" | 2.8" | 3 | 1 | 41° – 50° |
| April | 67° | 34° | 0.6" | 1.4" | 2 | 0 | 45° – 56° |
| May | 76° | 43° | 1.1" | 0.2" | 4 | 0 | 55° – 66° |
| June | 86° | 52° | 1.3" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 65° – 73° |
| July | 87° | 57° | 2.8" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 68° – 75° |
| August | 84° | 55° | 2.6" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 67° – 74° |
| September | 79° | 49° | 1.9" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 58° – 68° |
| October | 69° | 38° | 1.2" | 1.2" | 4 | 0 | 50° – 58° |
| November | 57° | 28° | 0.6" | 2.6" | 3 | 2 | 35° – 49° |
| December | 47° | 21° | 0.8" | 7.2" | 3 | 6 | 28° – 40° |
| Year | 68° | 38° | 14.5" | 25.7" | 53 | 18 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. January swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 25° to 40°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Duran’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 Duran’s center.
- Snow: Pedernal 9 E, NM.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Pedernal 9 E, NM, 12 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 Duran’s climate
What is the weather like in Duran?
A typical July afternoon reaches 87°, a January night drops to 21°, and about 26 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 55% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 61% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Duran in winter?
January nights average 21°. About 165 nights a year reach 32° or below and 3 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 25°.
How much snow does Duran get?
About 26 inches in a normal winter at Pedernal 9 E, NM, most of it in December, with snow on the ground about 18 days a year.
How hot does it get in Duran?
July, with a typical high of 87° and a low of 57°. About 39 days a year reach 90° (Pedernal 9 E, NM).
When is the first and last frost in Duran?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 9 and the first fall frost by October 6, about 150 frost-free days, at Pedernal 9 E, NM.
What growing zone is Duran in?
Zone 7a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 0°.
What is the best time of year to visit Duran?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Duran getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 83% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Duran.
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.