East Pecos is drier than 91% of U.S. towns: 17 inches of precipitation a year
January mornings start at about 17°. July is the wettest month, February the driest. Winter nights are cold: in January they are colder than in 74% of U.S. towns. Seedlings are safe outdoors from about May 15, with the first autumn frost due around October 3.
A year in East Pecos at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about East Pecos’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with East Pecos’ place in New Mexico beside it.
What a year in East Pecos feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 138 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 15 and the first by October 3. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Pecos Nm, NM, 2.9 miles from the town’s center, 320 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts East Pecos’ center in zone 6b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −4°. 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 Pecos Nm, NM, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 17 inches a year; July is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 69 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in East Pecos
94% 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 Pecos Nm, NM.
Living with East Pecos’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
138 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by May 15 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 3.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July, August and September. 2.4 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in East Pecos from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (68%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 2%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →East Pecos and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around East Pecos yet.
Climates most like East Pecos’, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| East Pecos, NM | 17° | 83° | 17" | 26" |
| Polson, MT | 20° | 83° | 19" | 34" |
| Cimarron Hills, CO | 18° | 85° | 17" | 33" |
| Show Low, AZ | 19° | 86° | 15" | 19" |
| Rapid City, SD | 14° | 86° | 19" | 36" |
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 East Pecos averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.7°).
A bigger shift than in 53% 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 East Pecos compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with East Pecos’ place among New Mexico’s.
East Pecos weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at East Pecos’ center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Pecos Nm, NM. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 44° | 17° | 0.8" | 6.3" | 4 | 25° – 37° |
| February | 47° | 20° | 0.7" | 4.4" | 4 | 28° – 40° |
| March | 55° | 25° | 0.8" | 3.0" | 4 | 35° – 45° |
| April | 62° | 30° | 0.8" | 1.0" | 4 | 42° – 52° |
| May | 71° | 39° | 1.2" | 0.0" | 4 | 51° – 61° |
| June | 82° | 48° | 1.3" | 0.0" | 5 | 60° – 69° |
| July | 83° | 53° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 13 | 65° – 72° |
| August | 81° | 51° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 12 | 63° – 70° |
| September | 75° | 44° | 2.0" | 0.0" | 7 | 54° – 63° |
| October | 65° | 34° | 1.5" | 0.6" | 5 | 46° – 54° |
| November | 53° | 24° | 0.9" | 3.7" | 4 | 31° – 45° |
| December | 44° | 17° | 1.0" | 7.3" | 4 | 26° – 35° |
| Year | 64° | 33° | 17.2" | 26.3" | 69 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 31° to 45°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where East Pecos’ 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 East Pecos’ center.
- Snow: Pecos Nm, NM.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Pecos Nm, NM, 2.9 miles from the town’s center, 320 ft lower; 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 East Pecos’ climate
What is the weather like in East Pecos?
A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 17°, and about 26 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 74% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 68% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in East Pecos in winter?
December nights average 17°. About 174 nights a year reach 32° or below and 3 reach 0° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 26°.
How much snow does East Pecos get?
About 26 inches in a normal winter at Pecos Nm, NM, most of it in December.
How hot does it get in East Pecos?
July, with a typical high of 83° and a low of 53°. About 21 days a year reach 90° (Pecos Nm, NM).
When is the first and last frost in East Pecos?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 15 and the first fall frost by October 3, about 138 frost-free days, at Pecos Nm, NM.
What growing zone is East Pecos in?
Zone 6b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −4°.
What is the best time of year to visit East Pecos?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), June, July, August and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is East Pecos getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 53% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in East Pecos.
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.