Few U.S. towns get less rain and snow than Escondida: 9 inches a year
Deep winter brings January lows near 21°. Summer afternoons here are warmer than in 94% of U.S. towns. The latest 30-year average runs 2.2° warmer than 1901–2000’s, with March up the most. Keep the boiler serviced for the months from November to February, which average under 50°.
A year in Escondida at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Escondida’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Escondida’s place in New Mexico beside it.
What a year in Escondida feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 191 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 16 and the first by October 25. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Socorro, NM, 2.9 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Escondida’s center in zone 7b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 7°. 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 5 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Bernardo, NM, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 9 inches a year; July is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 39 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Escondida
76% 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 Socorro, NM.
Living with Escondida’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
191 frost-free days in zone 7b. The last frost comes by Apr 16 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 25.
Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Escondida from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (80%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 2%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Escondida and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Escondida yet.
Climates most like Escondida’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Escondida, NM | 21° | 94° | 9" | 4.7" |
| Silver Springs, NV | 23° | 95° | 5" | 4.5" |
| Star, ID | 24° | 93° | 11" | 7.4" |
| Fruitvale, CO | 19° | 94° | 10" | 13" |
| Ontario, OR | 23° | 93° | 10" | 15" |
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 Escondida averaged 2.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+3.2°).
A bigger shift than in 96% 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 Escondida compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Escondida’s place among New Mexico’s.
Escondida weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Escondida’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Bernardo, NM. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 54° | 21° | 0.3" | 1.4" | 2 | 1 | 31° – 42° |
| February | 61° | 26° | 0.3" | 0.3" | 3 | 0 | 39° – 48° |
| March | 69° | 32° | 0.4" | 0.4" | 3 | 0 | 47° – 56° |
| April | 76° | 39° | 0.3" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 52° – 62° |
| May | 85° | 47° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 63° – 71° |
| June | 94° | 56° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 71° – 78° |
| July | 94° | 62° | 1.8" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 74° – 81° |
| August | 92° | 60° | 1.7" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 73° – 80° |
| September | 86° | 52° | 1.4" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 64° – 73° |
| October | 76° | 40° | 0.8" | 0.4" | 4 | 0 | 54° – 62° |
| November | 63° | 28° | 0.4" | 0.4" | 2 | 0 | 40° – 53° |
| December | 53° | 21° | 0.6" | 1.8" | 3 | 1 | 32° – 42° |
| Year | 75° | 40° | 8.9" | 4.7" | 39 | 2 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 40° to 53°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Escondida’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 Escondida’s center.
- Snow: Bernardo, NM.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Socorro, NM, 2.9 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 Escondida’s climate
What is the weather like in Escondida?
A typical July afternoon reaches 94°, a January night drops to 21°, and about 5 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 54% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 94% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Escondida in winter?
January nights average 21°. About 126 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 31°.
How much snow does Escondida get?
About 4.7 inches in a normal winter at Bernardo, NM, most of it in December, with snow on the ground about 2 days a year.
How hot does it get in Escondida?
July, with a typical high of 94° and a low of 62°. About 82 days a year reach 90° and 8 reach 100° (Socorro, NM).
When is the first and last frost in Escondida?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 16 and the first fall frost by October 25, about 191 frost-free days, at Socorro, NM.
What growing zone is Escondida in?
Zone 7b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 7°.
What is the best time of year to visit Escondida?
No month meets the simple rule we use (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more). The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Escondida getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 2.2° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 96% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Escondida.
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.