Photo: John Phelan · CC BY-SA 3.0El Rancho sits near the bottom of U.S. towns for precipitation, with 10 inches a year
The coldest hours of a January night bottom out at 17° on average. Summer afternoons here are warmer than in 81% of U.S. towns. Warming shows here too: 1.4° more than in 1901–2000, led by March. For walks and days out, May and September bring highs of 79–82°.
A year in El Rancho at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about El Rancho’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with El Rancho’s place in New Mexico beside it.
What a year in El Rancho feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 149 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 11 and the first by October 6. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Espanola, NM, 7 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts El Rancho’s center in zone 7a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 2°. 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 11 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Alcalde, NM, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 10 inches a year; August is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 55 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in El Rancho
89% 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 Espanola, NM.
Living with El Rancho’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
149 frost-free days in zone 7a. The last frost comes by May 11 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 El Rancho from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (74%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 1%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →El Rancho and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of El Rancho in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like El Rancho’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| El Rancho, NM | 17° | 91° | 10" | 11" |
| Snowflake, AZ | 20° | 90° | 10" | 13" |
| Pueblo West, CO | 19° | 92° | 12" | 15" |
| Richfield, UT | 16° | 90° | 11" | 18" |
| Johnson Lane, NV | 22° | 91° | 10" | 14" |
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value. Snow and frost-free days come from the nearest weather station, so neighbors often share them.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in El Rancho averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.7°).
A bigger shift than in 56% 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 El Rancho compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with El Rancho’s place among New Mexico’s.
El Rancho weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at El Rancho’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Alcalde, NM. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 47° | 17° | 0.5" | 2.2" | 3 | 2 | 27° – 38° |
| February | 53° | 22° | 0.3" | 1.5" | 3 | 1 | 32° – 43° |
| March | 62° | 28° | 0.5" | 1.4" | 4 | 1 | 42° – 50° |
| April | 69° | 34° | 0.6" | 0.3" | 4 | 0 | 47° – 57° |
| May | 79° | 42° | 0.8" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 55° – 66° |
| June | 89° | 51° | 0.7" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 65° – 74° |
| July | 91° | 57° | 1.7" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 71° – 78° |
| August | 88° | 56° | 1.8" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 69° – 76° |
| September | 82° | 48° | 1.2" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 60° – 68° |
| October | 71° | 35° | 1.1" | 0.6" | 5 | 0 | 50° – 57° |
| November | 57° | 25° | 0.5" | 1.4" | 3 | 1 | 33° – 47° |
| December | 46° | 17° | 0.5" | 3.3" | 3 | 3 | 26° – 36° |
| Year | 69° | 36° | 10.3" | 10.7" | 55 | 7 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 33° to 47°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where El Rancho’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 El Rancho’s center.
- Snow: Alcalde, NM.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Espanola, 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 El Rancho’s climate
What is the weather like in El Rancho?
A typical July afternoon reaches 91°, a January night drops to 17°, and about 11 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 73% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 81% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in El Rancho in winter?
December nights average 17°. About 174 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 26°.
How much snow does El Rancho get?
About 11 inches in a normal winter at Alcalde, NM, most of it in December, with snow on the ground about 7 days a year.
How hot does it get in El Rancho?
July, with a typical high of 91° and a low of 57°. About 51 days a year reach 90° and 2 reach 100° (Espanola, NM).
When is the first and last frost in El Rancho?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 11 and the first fall frost by October 6, about 149 frost-free days, at Espanola, NM.
What growing zone is El Rancho in?
Zone 7a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 2°.
What is the best time of year to visit El Rancho?
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 El Rancho getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 56% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in El Rancho.
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.