Less rain and snow falls on Homestead than on 93% of U.S. towns: 15 inches a year
High summer brings afternoon highs near 82°. Only 65° separates winter nights from summer afternoons. By July afternoons alone, it runs cooler than 84% of U.S. towns. Garden planting can start around May 19; autumn frost returns near October 4.
A year in Homestead at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Homestead’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Homestead’s place in New Mexico beside it.
What a year in Homestead feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 137 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 19 and the first by October 4. Day counts come from NOAA’s station at Pietown 19ne, NM, 24 miles from the town’s center, 350 ft higher; frost dates and degree days from Augustine 2e, NM, 15 miles away.
The 2023 USDA map puts Homestead’s center in zone 6a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −8°. 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 7 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Augustine 2e, NM, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 15 inches a year; August is the wettest month and June the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 48 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Homestead
95% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from October through May.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Augustine 2e, NM.
Living with Homestead’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
137 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by May 19 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: June, July, August and September. 0.6 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Homestead from natural hazards, wildfire is the largest share (46%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 3%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Homestead and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Homestead yet.
Climates most like Homestead’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Homestead, NM | 18° | 82° | 15" | 6.6" |
| La Grande, OR | 25° | 84° | 18" | 9.4" |
| Butte-Silver Bow, MT | 14° | 79° | 14" | 15" |
| Shelley, ID | 14° | 87° | 11" | 15" |
| Indian Hills, NV | 25° | 86° | 14" | 14" |
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 Homestead averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.4°).
A bigger shift than in 54% 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 Homestead compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Homestead’s place among New Mexico’s.
Homestead weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Homestead’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Augustine 2e, NM. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 44° | 18° | 0.7" | 1.4" | 3 | 0 | 24° – 36° |
| February | 48° | 20° | 0.6" | 1.5" | 3 | 0 | 29° – 39° |
| March | 55° | 25° | 0.7" | 0.8" | 3 | 0 | 35° – 45° |
| April | 62° | 30° | 0.6" | 0.1" | 2 | 0 | 40° – 51° |
| May | 72° | 38° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 49° – 60° |
| June | 81° | 47° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 59° – 68° |
| July | 82° | 53° | 2.9" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 64° – 71° |
| August | 78° | 51° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 62° – 69° |
| September | 73° | 45° | 2.0" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 55° – 62° |
| October | 64° | 34° | 1.1" | 0.4" | 4 | 0 | 46° – 54° |
| November | 53° | 24° | 0.9" | 0.5" | 3 | 0 | 32° – 46° |
| December | 44° | 17° | 1.0" | 1.9" | 3 | 0 | 25° – 37° |
| Year | 63° | 33° | 14.6" | 6.6" | 48 | 1 |
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 46°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Homestead’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 Homestead’s center.
- Snow: Augustine 2e, NM.
- Frost dates, heating and cooling: Augustine 2e, NM, 15 miles away.
- Freezing nights, 90° and 100° days: Pietown 19ne, NM, 24 miles from the town’s center, 350 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 Homestead’s climate
What is the weather like in Homestead?
A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to 18°, and about 7 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 71% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 84% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Homestead in winter?
December nights average 17°. About 162 nights a year reach 32° or below and 1 reach 0° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 25°.
How much snow does Homestead get?
About 6.6 inches in a normal winter at Augustine 2e, NM, most of it in December, with snow on the ground about 1 days a year.
How hot does it get in Homestead?
July, with a typical high of 82° and a low of 53°. About 6 days a year reach 90° (Augustine 2e, NM).
When is the first and last frost in Homestead?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 19 and the first fall frost by October 4, about 137 frost-free days, at Augustine 2e, NM.
What growing zone is Homestead in?
Zone 6a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −8°.
What is the best time of year to visit Homestead?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), June, July, August and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Homestead getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 54% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Homestead.
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.