Photo: Joe Mabel · CC BY 3.0Kirtland AFB’s winters are colder but less snowy than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 92°, a January night drops to 22°, and about 12 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Kirtland AFB at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Kirtland AFB’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Kirtland AFB’s place in New Mexico beside it.
What a year in Kirtland AFB feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 189 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 18 and the first by October 24. Day counts come from NOAA’s station at Albuquerque International Airport, 3 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height; frost dates and degree days from Albuquerque Valley, NM, 8 miles away.
The 2023 USDA map puts Kirtland AFB’s center in zone 8a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 10°. 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 12 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Albuquerque 4.6 E, NM, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 11 inches a year; July is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 62 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Kirtland AFB
77% of the work is heating. Months averaging under 55° run from November 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 Albuquerque Valley, NM.
Living with Kirtland AFB’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
189 frost-free days in zone 8a. The last frost comes by Apr 18 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 24.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May and September. 5.4 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Kirtland AFB from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (49%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 6%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Kirtland AFB and its neighbors
Albuquerque the hottest July afternoons (94°, 1° warmer). Differences under a degree are within what the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Kirtland AFB’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kirtland AFB, NM | 22° | 92° | 11" | 12" |
| Middleton, ID | 24° | 93° | 11" | 9.7" |
| Ontario, OR | 23° | 93° | 10" | 15" |
| Pueblo West, CO | 19° | 92° | 12" | 15" |
| Johnson Lane, NV | 22° | 91° | 10" | 14" |
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 Kirtland AFB averaged 2.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+3.2°).
A bigger shift than in 89% 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 Kirtland AFB compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Kirtland AFB’s place among New Mexico’s.
Kirtland AFB weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Kirtland AFB’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Albuquerque 4.6 E, NM. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 50° | 22° | 0.5" | 1.6" | 4 | 30° – 41° |
| February | 55° | 26° | 0.5" | 3.3" | 3 | 36° – 45° |
| March | 64° | 32° | 0.6" | 0.7" | 4 | 44° – 53° |
| April | 71° | 38° | 0.6" | 0.3" | 4 | 50° – 59° |
| May | 81° | 46° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 5 | 59° – 68° |
| June | 91° | 55° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 3 | 69° – 77° |
| July | 92° | 61° | 1.9" | 0.0" | 10 | 74° – 81° |
| August | 90° | 60° | 1.8" | 0.0" | 9 | 72° – 78° |
| September | 83° | 52° | 1.2" | 0.0" | 6 | 62° – 72° |
| October | 72° | 40° | 1.0" | 0.6" | 5 | 53° – 61° |
| November | 59° | 29° | 0.7" | 0.9" | 3 | 37° – 51° |
| December | 49° | 21° | 0.7" | 4.7" | 5 | 31° – 40° |
| Year | 71° | 40° | 10.6" | 12.1" | 62 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 37° to 51°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Kirtland AFB’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 Kirtland AFB’s center.
- Snow: Albuquerque 4.6 E, NM.
- Frost dates, heating and cooling: Albuquerque Valley, NM, 8 miles away.
- Freezing nights, 90° and 100° days: Albuquerque International Airport, 3 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 Kirtland AFB’s climate
What is the weather like in Kirtland AFB?
A typical July afternoon reaches 92°, a January night drops to 22°, and about 12 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 51% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 88% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Kirtland AFB in winter?
December nights average 21°. About 93 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 31°.
How much snow does Kirtland AFB get?
About 12 inches in a normal winter at Albuquerque 4.6 E, NM, most of it in December.
How hot does it get in Kirtland AFB?
July, with a typical high of 92° and a low of 61°. About 64 days a year reach 90° and 3 reach 100° (Albuquerque Valley, NM).
When is the first and last frost in Kirtland AFB?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 18 and the first fall frost by October 24, about 189 frost-free days, at Albuquerque Valley, NM.
What growing zone is Kirtland AFB in?
Zone 8a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 10°.
What is the best time of year to visit Kirtland AFB?
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 Kirtland AFB getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 2.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 89% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Kirtland AFB.
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.