Fence Lake is drier than 95% of U.S. towns: 13 inches of precipitation a year
In July the day’s top temperature is typically 86°. The year swings widely: the coldest month’s nights and the warmest month’s afternoons are 70° apart. Its January nights bite harder than in 79% of U.S. towns. Central heating does most of its work from November to April, in months below 50° on average.
A year in Fence Lake at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Fence Lake’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Fence Lake’s place in New Mexico beside it.
What a year in Fence Lake feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 122 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 31 and the first by October 1. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Fence Lake, NM, 0.1 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Fence Lake’s center in zone 6a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −10°. 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 23 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Fence Lake, NM, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 13 inches a year; August is the wettest month and June the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 71 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Fence Lake
96% 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 Fence Lake, NM.
Living with Fence Lake’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
122 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by May 31 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 1.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: August and September. 2.9 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Fence Lake from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (67%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 9%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Fence Lake and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Fence Lake yet.
Climates most like Fence Lake’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fence Lake, NM | 16° | 86° | 13" | 23" |
| Hamilton, MT | 20° | 86° | 13" | 17" |
| Cimarron Hills, CO | 18° | 85° | 17" | 33" |
| Shelley, ID | 14° | 87° | 11" | 15" |
| Rapid City, SD | 14° | 86° | 19" | 36" |
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 Fence Lake averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+1.9°).
A smaller shift than in 71% 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 Fence Lake compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Fence Lake’s place among New Mexico’s.
Fence Lake weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Fence Lake’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Fence Lake, NM. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 46° | 16° | 0.9" | 6.4" | 6 | 26° – 37° |
| February | 50° | 20° | 0.8" | 2.7" | 5 | 30° – 40° |
| March | 58° | 24° | 0.9" | 4.5" | 6 | 36° – 45° |
| April | 65° | 29° | 0.6" | 0.9" | 4 | 43° – 52° |
| May | 74° | 36° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 4 | 50° – 59° |
| June | 84° | 45° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 3 | 60° – 68° |
| July | 86° | 53° | 2.0" | 0.0" | 10 | 65° – 73° |
| August | 83° | 52° | 2.7" | 0.0" | 14 | 65° – 71° |
| September | 78° | 45° | 1.4" | 0.0" | 6 | 57° – 64° |
| October | 68° | 33° | 1.2" | 1.6" | 6 | 47° – 55° |
| November | 56° | 23° | 0.8" | 2.5" | 4 | 32° – 45° |
| December | 47° | 16° | 0.8" | 4.7" | 5 | 26° – 38° |
| Year | 66° | 33° | 13.2" | 23.3" | 71 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 32° to 45°. August is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Fence Lake’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 Fence Lake’s center.
- Snow: Fence Lake, NM (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Fence Lake, NM, 0.1 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 Fence Lake’s climate
What is the weather like in Fence Lake?
A typical July afternoon reaches 86°, a January night drops to 16°, and about 23 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 79% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 52% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Fence Lake in winter?
December nights average 16°. About 192 nights a year reach 32° or below and 6 reach 0° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 26°.
How much snow does Fence Lake get?
About 23 inches in a normal winter at Fence Lake, NM, most of it in January.
How hot does it get in Fence Lake?
July, with a typical high of 86° and a low of 53°. About 24 days a year reach 90° (Fence Lake, NM).
When is the first and last frost in Fence Lake?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 31 and the first fall frost by October 1, about 122 frost-free days, at Fence Lake, NM.
What growing zone is Fence Lake in?
Zone 6a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −10°.
What is the best time of year to visit Fence Lake?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), August and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Fence Lake getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 71% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Fence Lake.
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.