Encinal sits near the bottom of U.S. towns for precipitation, with 11 inches a year
Expect July afternoons of about 89°. Only 70° separates winter nights from summer afternoons. In July, afternoons here are warmer than in 71% of U.S. towns. If you like long walks, May and September offer highs of 77–80°.
A year in Encinal at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Encinal’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Encinal’s place in New Mexico beside it.
What a year in Encinal feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 145 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 13 and the first by October 4. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Cubero, NM, 3 miles from the town’s center, 130 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Encinal’s center in zone 6b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −3°. 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 15 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Cubero, NM, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 11 inches a year; August is the wettest month and April the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 45 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Encinal
88% 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 Cubero, NM.
Living with Encinal’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
145 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by May 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 Oct 4.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May and September. 2.2 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Encinal from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (72%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 13%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Encinal and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Encinal yet.
Climates most like Encinal’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Encinal, NM | 19° | 89° | 11" | 15" |
| Rupert, ID | 20° | 89° | 10" | 21" |
| Snowflake, AZ | 20° | 90° | 10" | 13" |
| Richfield, UT | 16° | 90° | 11" | 18" |
| 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 Encinal averaged 1.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.8°).
A bigger shift than in 60% 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 Encinal compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Encinal’s place among New Mexico’s.
Encinal weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Encinal’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Cubero, NM. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 47° | 19° | 0.6" | 3.9" | 3 | 2 | 27° – 39° |
| February | 52° | 22° | 0.5" | 2.4" | 3 | 1 | 32° – 42° |
| March | 60° | 28° | 0.5" | 1.4" | 2 | 0 | 40° – 49° |
| April | 67° | 33° | 0.5" | 0.7" | 2 | 0 | 45° – 55° |
| May | 77° | 42° | 0.7" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 55° – 65° |
| June | 88° | 52° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 65° – 74° |
| July | 89° | 58° | 2.0" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 69° – 77° |
| August | 86° | 56° | 2.2" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 68° – 74° |
| September | 80° | 49° | 1.4" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 59° – 67° |
| October | 70° | 36° | 0.9" | 0.6" | 3 | 0 | 49° – 58° |
| November | 56° | 26° | 0.7" | 1.4" | 2 | 0 | 35° – 47° |
| December | 47° | 18° | 0.8" | 4.6" | 2 | 2 | 26° – 39° |
| Year | 68° | 37° | 11.1" | 15.0" | 45 | 5 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 26° to 39°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Encinal’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 Encinal’s center.
- Snow: Cubero, NM.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Cubero, NM, 3 miles from the town’s center, 130 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 Encinal’s climate
What is the weather like in Encinal?
A typical July afternoon reaches 89°, a January night drops to 19°, and about 15 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 65% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 71% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Encinal in winter?
December nights average 18°. About 162 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 Encinal get?
About 15 inches in a normal winter at Cubero, NM, most of it in December, with snow on the ground about 5 days a year.
How hot does it get in Encinal?
July, with a typical high of 89° and a low of 58°. About 47 days a year reach 90° and 2 reach 100° (Cubero, NM).
When is the first and last frost in Encinal?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 13 and the first fall frost by October 4, about 145 frost-free days, at Cubero, NM.
What growing zone is Encinal in?
Zone 6b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −3°.
What is the best time of year to visit Encinal?
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 Encinal getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.5° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 60% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Encinal.
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.