Midway Service Station · Photo: Ammodramus · CC0Precipitation in Elida trails that of 92% of U.S. towns: 16 inches a year
Midsummer highs settle at about 91°. Summer afternoons here are warmer than in 84% of U.S. towns. Warming shows here too: 2.1° more than in 1901–2000, led by March. Picnics, hikes and garden evenings suit April, May, September and October, with highs of 74–83°.
A year in Elida at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Elida’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Elida’s place in New Mexico beside it.
What a year in Elida feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 183 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 21 and the first by October 23. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Elida, NM, 0.5 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Elida’s center in zone 7b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 6°. 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 13 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Elida, NM, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 16 inches a year; July is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 41 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Elida
71% 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 Elida, NM.
Living with Elida’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
183 frost-free days in zone 7b. The last frost comes by Apr 21 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 23.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, September and October.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Elida from natural hazards, wildfire is the largest share (53%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 2%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Elida and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Elida yet.
Climates most like Elida’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elida, NM | 24° | 91° | 16" | 13" |
| Prescott, AZ | 26° | 90° | 15" | 10" |
| Dumas, TX | 23° | 93° | 18" | 9.1" |
| Garden City, ID | 24° | 93° | 13" | 18" |
| Carson City, NV | 23° | 90° | 11" | 14" |
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 Elida averaged 2.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+3.2°).
A bigger shift than in 92% 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 Elida compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Elida’s place among New Mexico’s.
Elida weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Elida’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Elida, NM. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 54° | 24° | 0.6" | 3.2" | 2 | 2 | 30° – 44° |
| February | 58° | 27° | 0.4" | 1.4" | 2 | 1 | 38° – 48° |
| March | 66° | 33° | 0.8" | 1.1" | 3 | 0 | 46° – 56° |
| April | 74° | 40° | 0.7" | 0.2" | 2 | 0 | 51° – 63° |
| May | 82° | 50° | 1.5" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 62° – 73° |
| June | 91° | 59° | 1.9" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 70° – 80° |
| July | 91° | 63° | 2.9" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 72° – 82° |
| August | 90° | 62° | 2.6" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 72° – 82° |
| September | 83° | 55° | 2.0" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 63° – 74° |
| October | 74° | 43° | 1.6" | 0.6" | 3 | 0 | 54° – 62° |
| November | 62° | 31° | 0.6" | 1.5" | 3 | 1 | 40° – 52° |
| December | 53° | 24° | 0.6" | 4.6" | 3 | 2 | 33° – 43° |
| Year | 73° | 43° | 16.1" | 12.6" | 41 | 7 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. January swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 30° to 44°. October is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Elida’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 Elida’s center.
- Snow: Elida, NM (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Elida, NM, 0.5 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 Elida’s climate
What is the weather like in Elida?
A typical July afternoon reaches 91°, a January night drops to 24°, and about 13 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 59% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 84% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Elida in winter?
January nights average 24°. About 105 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 30°.
How much snow does Elida get?
About 13 inches in a normal winter at Elida, NM, most of it in December, with snow on the ground about 7 days a year.
How hot does it get in Elida?
July, with a typical high of 91° and a low of 63°. About 80 days a year reach 90° and 9 reach 100° (Elida, NM).
When is the first and last frost in Elida?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 21 and the first fall frost by October 23, about 183 frost-free days, at Elida, NM.
What growing zone is Elida in?
Zone 7b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 6°.
What is the best time of year to visit Elida?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), April, May, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Elida getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 2.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 92% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Elida.
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.