Photo: AllenS · Public domainElephant Butte reaches 100° on about 20 days a year, more than 95% of U.S. towns
Nights in January average 28°. Precipitation peaks in July and eases off in April. It is a dry place: less rain and snow fall here than on 98% of U.S. towns. Seedlings are safe outdoors from about March 13, with the first autumn frost due around November 15.
A year in Elephant Butte at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Elephant Butte’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Elephant Butte’s place in New Mexico beside it.
What a year in Elephant Butte feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 243 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 13 and the first by November 15. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Elephant Butte Dam, NM, 3 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Elephant Butte’s center in zone 8a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 15°. 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 rain a year
July is the wettest month and April the driest. Rain falls on about 45 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.9" in a normal year at Elephant Butte Dam, NM, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Elephant Butte
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 Elephant Butte Dam, NM.
Living with Elephant Butte’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
243 frost-free days in zone 8a. The last frost comes by Mar 13 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 15.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April and October. 16 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Elephant Butte from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (74%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 7%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Elephant Butte and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Elephant Butte in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Elephant Butte’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elephant Butte, NM | 28° | 96° | 10" | 0.9" |
| Douglas, AZ | 31° | 94° | 13" | 0.5" |
| West Odessa, TX | 31° | 96° | 13" | 2.1" |
| Mojave, CA | 33° | 97° | 8" | 1.2" |
| Silver Springs, NV | 23° | 95° | 5" | 4.5" |
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 Elephant Butte averaged 1.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.4°).
A bigger shift than in 73% 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 Elephant Butte compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Elephant Butte’s place among New Mexico’s.
Elephant Butte weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Elephant Butte’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Elephant Butte Dam, NM. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 57° | 28° | 0.4" | 0.2" | 3 | 0 | 37° – 47° |
| February | 63° | 32° | 0.4" | 0.3" | 2 | 0 | 42° – 53° |
| March | 70° | 37° | 0.3" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 50° – 59° |
| April | 78° | 44° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 55° – 67° |
| May | 87° | 53° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 66° – 75° |
| June | 96° | 62° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 75° – 83° |
| July | 96° | 67° | 1.9" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 77° – 85° |
| August | 93° | 65° | 1.9" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 76° – 83° |
| September | 87° | 58° | 1.7" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 68° – 77° |
| October | 78° | 46° | 0.9" | 0.1" | 4 | 0 | 59° – 66° |
| November | 66° | 35° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 44° – 59° |
| December | 56° | 28° | 0.6" | 0.3" | 3 | 0 | 36° – 47° |
| Year | 77° | 46° | 9.7" | 0.9" | 45 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 44° to 59°. October is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Elephant Butte’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 Elephant Butte’s center.
- Snow: Elephant Butte Dam, NM.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Elephant Butte Dam, NM, 3 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 Elephant Butte’s climate
What is the weather like in Elephant Butte?
A typical July afternoon reaches 96°, a January night drops to 28°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 69% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 96% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Elephant Butte in winter?
January nights average 28°. About 69 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 37°.
How much snow does Elephant Butte get?
About 0.9 inches in a normal winter at Elephant Butte Dam, NM, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Elephant Butte?
July, with a typical high of 96° and a low of 67°. About 96 days a year reach 90° and 20 reach 100° (Elephant Butte Dam, NM).
When is the first and last frost in Elephant Butte?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 13 and the first fall frost by November 15, about 243 frost-free days, at Elephant Butte Dam, NM.
What growing zone is Elephant Butte in?
Zone 8a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 15°.
What is the best time of year to visit Elephant Butte?
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 Elephant Butte getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.7° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 73% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Elephant Butte.
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.