Garfield reaches 100° on about 29 days a year, more than 97% of U.S. towns
The depth of winter brings overnight lows near 25°. Precipitation peaks in July and eases off in April. It is a dry place: less rain and snow fall here than on 98% of U.S. towns. Homes need heating from December to February, the months averaging under 50°.
A year in Garfield at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Garfield’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Garfield’s place in New Mexico beside it.
What a year in Garfield feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 224 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 25 and the first by November 6. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Caballo Dam, NM, 10 miles from the town’s center, 130 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Garfield’s center in zone 8a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 11°. 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 10 inches of rain a year
July is the wettest month and April the driest. Rain falls on about 46 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.4" in a normal year at Caballo Dam, NM, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Garfield
56% 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 Caballo Dam, NM.
Living with Garfield’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
224 frost-free days in zone 8a. The last frost comes by Mar 25 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Nov 6.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April and October.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Garfield from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (54%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 3%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Garfield and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Garfield yet.
Climates most like Garfield’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Garfield, NM | 25° | 97° | 10" | 0.4" |
| Page, AZ | 28° | 99° | 7" | 0.6" |
| Kermit, TX | 30° | 98° | 12" | 1.9" |
| Fallon, NV | 22° | 96° | 4" | 4.5" |
| Mojave, CA | 33° | 97° | 8" | 1.2" |
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 Garfield averaged 1.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.3°).
A bigger shift than in 65% 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 Garfield compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Garfield’s place among New Mexico’s.
Garfield weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Garfield’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Caballo Dam, NM. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 59° | 25° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 37° – 47° |
| February | 64° | 29° | 0.4" | 0.2" | 2 | 0 | 42° – 52° |
| March | 72° | 35° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 49° – 59° |
| April | 79° | 42° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 55° – 66° |
| May | 88° | 50° | 0.3" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 66° – 74° |
| June | 97° | 60° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 74° – 83° |
| July | 97° | 65° | 2.0" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 77° – 84° |
| August | 94° | 64° | 1.8" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 76° – 83° |
| September | 89° | 57° | 1.4" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 68° – 76° |
| October | 80° | 44° | 0.9" | 0.1" | 4 | 0 | 60° – 66° |
| November | 68° | 33° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 44° – 58° |
| December | 58° | 26° | 0.7" | 0.1" | 3 | 0 | 37° – 46° |
| Year | 79° | 44° | 9.5" | 0.4" | 46 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 44° to 58°. October is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Garfield’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 Garfield’s center.
- Snow: Caballo Dam, NM.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Caballo Dam, NM, 10 miles from the town’s center, 130 ft higher; 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 Garfield’s climate
What is the weather like in Garfield?
A typical July afternoon reaches 97°, a January night drops to 25°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 63% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 98% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Garfield in winter?
January nights average 25°. About 90 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 37°.
How much snow does Garfield get?
About 0.4 inches in a normal winter at Caballo Dam, NM, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Garfield?
July, with a typical high of 97° and a low of 65°. About 114 days a year reach 90° and 29 reach 100° (Caballo Dam, NM).
When is the first and last frost in Garfield?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 25 and the first fall frost by November 6, about 224 frost-free days, at Caballo Dam, NM.
What growing zone is Garfield in?
Zone 8a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 11°.
What is the best time of year to visit Garfield?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), April and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Garfield getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.6° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 65% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Garfield.
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.