Jal reaches 100° on about 29 days a year, more than 97% of U.S. towns
The depth of winter brings overnight lows near 29°. From frosty January to warm July, readings climb 68°. Precipitation is light here, less than falls on 95% of U.S. towns. Radiators earn their keep from December to February, the months that average under 50°.
A year in Jal at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Jal’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Jal’s place in New Mexico beside it.
What a year in Jal feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 215 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 31 and the first by November 3. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Jal, NM, 0.4 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Jal’s center in zone 8a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 13°. 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 2 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Jal, NM, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 13 inches a year; September is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 28 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Jal
56% of the work is heating. Months averaging under 55° run from November through February.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Jal, NM.
Living with Jal’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
215 frost-free days in zone 8a. The last frost comes by Mar 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 Nov 3.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: March, April and October. 0.0 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Jal from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (57%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 12%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Jal and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Jal yet.
Climates most like Jal’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jal, NM | 29° | 97° | 13" | 1.9" |
| San Elizario, TX | 31° | 97° | 9" | 1.7" |
| Sedona, AZ | 30° | 97° | 17" | 1.0" |
| Mojave, CA | 33° | 97° | 8" | 1.2" |
| Ivins, UT | 32° | 100° | 11" | 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 Jal averaged 1.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.6°).
A bigger shift than in 75% 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 Jal compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Jal’s place among New Mexico’s.
Jal weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Jal’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Jal, NM. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 60° | 29° | 0.5" | 0.7" | 2 | 0 | 40° – 50° |
| February | 65° | 33° | 0.4" | 0.4" | 2 | 0 | 45° – 55° |
| March | 73° | 41° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 52° – 63° |
| April | 82° | 48° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 60° – 70° |
| May | 89° | 58° | 1.5" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 68° – 80° |
| June | 97° | 67° | 1.4" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 77° – 88° |
| July | 97° | 69° | 1.8" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 78° – 87° |
| August | 96° | 69° | 1.7" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 78° – 88° |
| September | 89° | 61° | 2.2" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 69° – 81° |
| October | 80° | 50° | 1.2" | 0.1" | 2 | 0 | 62° – 70° |
| November | 69° | 38° | 0.5" | 0.2" | 1 | 0 | 48° – 58° |
| December | 60° | 30° | 0.5" | 0.5" | 2 | 0 | 40° – 49° |
| Year | 80° | 49° | 12.6" | 1.9" | 28 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. May swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 68° to 80°. December is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Jal’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 Jal’s center.
- Snow: Jal, NM (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Jal, NM, 0.4 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 Jal’s climate
What is the weather like in Jal?
A typical July afternoon reaches 97°, a January night drops to 29°, and about 2 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 71% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 98% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Jal in winter?
January nights average 29°. About 77 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 40°.
How much snow does Jal get?
About 1.9 inches in a normal winter at Jal, NM, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 0 days a year.
How hot does it get in Jal?
July, with a typical high of 97° and a low of 69°. About 125 days a year reach 90° and 29 reach 100° (Jal, NM).
When is the first and last frost in Jal?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 31 and the first fall frost by November 3, about 215 frost-free days, at Jal, NM.
What growing zone is Jal in?
Zone 8a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 13°.
What is the best time of year to visit Jal?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), March, April and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Jal getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.7° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 75% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Jal.
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.