Hardly any U.S. towns collect less precipitation than Fruitland: 8 inches a year
High summer brings afternoon highs near 94°. By July afternoons alone, it runs hotter than 93% of U.S. towns. January has warmed most since 1901–2000, part of a 1.6° rise. If you like long walks, May and September offer highs of 79–83°.
A year in Fruitland at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Fruitland’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Fruitland’s place in New Mexico beside it.
What a year in Fruitland feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 143 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 12 and the first by October 4. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Fruitland, NM, 2.6 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Fruitland’s center in zone 7a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 2°. 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 8 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Fruitland, NM, is heaviest from January through February, about 2 inches a month. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 8 inches a year; September is the wettest month and June the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 52 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Fruitland
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 Fruitland, NM.
Living with Fruitland’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
143 frost-free days in zone 7a. The last frost comes by May 12 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.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Fruitland from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (68%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 16%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Fruitland and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Fruitland in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Fruitland’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fruitland, NM | 19° | 94° | 8" | 7.8" |
| Orchard Mesa, CO | 18° | 94° | 9" | 13" |
| Silver Springs, NV | 23° | 95° | 5" | 4.5" |
| Caldwell, ID | 24° | 93° | 11" | 9.7" |
| Ontario, OR | 23° | 93° | 10" | 15" |
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 Fruitland averaged 1.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.7°).
A bigger shift than in 66% 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 Fruitland compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Fruitland’s place among New Mexico’s.
Fruitland weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Fruitland’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Fruitland, NM. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 44° | 19° | 0.6" | 1.9" | 5 | 1 | 24° – 38° |
| February | 51° | 23° | 0.6" | 2.1" | 4 | 1 | 33° – 43° |
| March | 61° | 29° | 0.6" | 0.7" | 5 | 0 | 41° – 51° |
| April | 69° | 35° | 0.5" | 0.2" | 3 | 0 | 48° – 56° |
| May | 79° | 44° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 56° – 65° |
| June | 90° | 53° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 67° – 77° |
| July | 94° | 61° | 0.7" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 73° – 81° |
| August | 91° | 59° | 0.9" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 72° – 80° |
| September | 83° | 50° | 1.0" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 61° – 70° |
| October | 71° | 37° | 0.8" | 0.5" | 5 | 0 | 49° – 59° |
| November | 56° | 26° | 0.6" | 0.9" | 4 | 0 | 35° – 48° |
| December | 44° | 19° | 0.6" | 1.5" | 5 | 1 | 25° – 38° |
| Year | 69° | 38° | 7.6" | 7.8" | 52 | 3 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. January swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 24° to 38°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Fruitland’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 Fruitland’s center.
- Snow: Fruitland, NM.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Fruitland, NM, 2.6 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 Fruitland’s climate
What is the weather like in Fruitland?
A typical July afternoon reaches 94°, a January night drops to 19°, and about 8 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 67% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 93% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Fruitland in winter?
January nights average 19°. About 156 nights a year reach 32° or below and 1 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 24°.
How much snow does Fruitland get?
About 7.8 inches in a normal winter at Fruitland, NM, heaviest from January through February, about 2 inches a month, with snow on the ground about 3 days a year.
How hot does it get in Fruitland?
July, with a typical high of 94° and a low of 61°. About 62 days a year reach 90° and 2 reach 100° (Fruitland, NM).
When is the first and last frost in Fruitland?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 12 and the first fall frost by October 4, about 143 frost-free days, at Fruitland, NM.
What growing zone is Fruitland in?
Zone 7a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 2°.
What is the best time of year to visit Fruitland?
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 Fruitland getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.6° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 66% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Fruitland.
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.