Photo: AllenS · Public domainHigh Rolls has cooler summers than 93% of U.S. towns
Midwinter brings lows of about 25°. Precipitation is light here, less than falls on 89% of U.S. towns. March has warmed most since 1901–2000, part of a 1.8° rise. Keep the boiler serviced for the months from November to March, which average under 50°.
A year in High Rolls at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about High Rolls’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with High Rolls’ place in New Mexico beside it.
What a year in High Rolls feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 173 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 30 and the first by October 21. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Mtn Park, NM, 1.8 miles from the town’s center, 460 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts High Rolls’ center in zone 7a: 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 17 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Mtn Park, NM, falls mostly in January, February and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 20 inches a year; July is the wettest month and April the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 60 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in High Rolls
93% 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 Mtn Park, NM.
Living with High Rolls’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
173 frost-free days in zone 7a. The last frost comes by Apr 30 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 21.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August, September and October. 9.1 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in High Rolls from natural hazards, wildfire is the largest share (73%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 1%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →High Rolls and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around High Rolls yet.
Climates most like High Rolls’, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| High Rolls, NM | 25° | 80° | 20" | 17" |
| Hayden, ID | 25° | 83° | 26" | 27" |
| La Grande, OR | 25° | 84° | 18" | 9.4" |
| Polson, MT | 20° | 83° | 19" | 34" |
| Pullman, WA | 27° | 84° | 20" | 33" |
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 High Rolls averaged 1.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.9°).
A bigger shift than in 80% 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 High Rolls compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with High Rolls’ place among New Mexico’s.
High Rolls weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at High Rolls’ center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Mtn Park, NM. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 47° | 25° | 1.2" | 3.9" | 4 | 2 | 31° – 41° |
| February | 51° | 27° | 1.1" | 4.2" | 4 | 2 | 34° – 43° |
| March | 57° | 31° | 1.0" | 2.4" | 4 | 1 | 40° – 49° |
| April | 64° | 36° | 0.7" | 0.7" | 2 | 0 | 46° – 55° |
| May | 72° | 44° | 1.0" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 54° – 63° |
| June | 81° | 52° | 1.3" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 63° – 70° |
| July | 80° | 55° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 63° – 71° |
| August | 78° | 54° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 63° – 70° |
| September | 73° | 49° | 2.5" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 57° – 65° |
| October | 65° | 40° | 1.8" | 1.1" | 4 | 0 | 50° – 57° |
| November | 55° | 31° | 1.1" | 1.0" | 3 | 0 | 36° – 49° |
| December | 47° | 25° | 1.6" | 4.0" | 4 | 4 | 31° – 43° |
| Year | 64° | 39° | 20.4" | 17.3" | 60 | 9 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 36° to 49°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where High Rolls’ 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 High Rolls’ center.
- Snow: Mtn Park, NM (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Mtn Park, NM, 1.8 miles from the town’s center, 460 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 High Rolls’ climate
What is the weather like in High Rolls?
A typical July afternoon reaches 80°, a January night drops to 25°, and about 17 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 63% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 93% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in High Rolls in winter?
January nights average 25°. About 106 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 31°.
How much snow does High Rolls get?
About 17 inches in a normal winter at Mtn Park, NM, most of it in January, February and December, with snow on the ground about 9 days a year.
How hot does it get in High Rolls?
July, with a typical high of 80° and a low of 55°. About 5 days a year reach 90° (Mtn Park, NM).
When is the first and last frost in High Rolls?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 30 and the first fall frost by October 21, about 173 frost-free days, at Mtn Park, NM.
What growing zone is High Rolls in?
Zone 7a 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 High Rolls?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June, July, August, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is High Rolls getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.8° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 80% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in High Rolls.
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.