La Bajada is among the driest of U.S. towns: 11 inches of precipitation a year
On a normal July day the thermometer tops out near 91°. The wettest month is August; the driest is February. In July, afternoons here are warmer than in 82% of U.S. towns. Comfortable outdoor weather, highs of 79–82°, belongs to May and September.
A year in La Bajada at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about La Bajada’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with La Bajada’s place in New Mexico beside it.
What a year in La Bajada feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 178 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 26 and the first by October 21. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Cochiti Dam, NM, 8 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts La Bajada’s center in zone 7a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 4°. 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 8 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Cochiti Dam, NM, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 11 inches a year; August is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 65 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in La Bajada
79% of the work is heating. 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 Cochiti Dam, NM.
Living with La Bajada’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
178 frost-free days in zone 7a. The last frost comes by Apr 26 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 and September. 1.6 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in La Bajada from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (63%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 2%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →La Bajada and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around La Bajada yet.
Climates most like La Bajada’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| La Bajada, NM | 20° | 91° | 11" | 8.2" |
| Snowflake, AZ | 20° | 90° | 10" | 13" |
| Johnson Lane, NV | 22° | 91° | 10" | 14" |
| Pueblo West, CO | 19° | 92° | 12" | 15" |
| Middleton, ID | 24° | 93° | 11" | 9.7" |
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 La Bajada averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.6°).
A smaller shift than in 50% 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 La Bajada compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with La Bajada’s place among New Mexico’s.
La Bajada weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at La Bajada’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Cochiti Dam, NM. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 47° | 20° | 0.5" | 2.1" | 4 | 2 | 27° – 40° |
| February | 53° | 25° | 0.4" | 1.8" | 4 | 0 | 33° – 44° |
| March | 62° | 30° | 0.6" | 0.8" | 4 | 0 | 42° – 51° |
| April | 69° | 36° | 0.6" | 0.1" | 4 | 0 | 48° – 58° |
| May | 79° | 44° | 0.8" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 57° – 68° |
| June | 90° | 54° | 0.7" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 68° – 76° |
| July | 91° | 59° | 1.7" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 72° – 79° |
| August | 88° | 58° | 1.9" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 70° – 77° |
| September | 82° | 50° | 1.3" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 61° – 70° |
| October | 71° | 38° | 1.1" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 51° – 59° |
| November | 57° | 28° | 0.6" | 0.6" | 4 | 0 | 35° – 49° |
| December | 47° | 20° | 0.6" | 2.8" | 4 | 1 | 28° – 38° |
| Year | 70° | 38° | 10.8" | 8.2" | 65 | 4 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 35° to 49°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where La Bajada’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 La Bajada’s center.
- Snow: Cochiti Dam, NM.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Cochiti Dam, NM, 8 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 La Bajada’s climate
What is the weather like in La Bajada?
A typical July afternoon reaches 91°, a January night drops to 20°, and about 8 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 57% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 82% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in La Bajada in winter?
December nights average 20°. About 137 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 28°.
How much snow does La Bajada get?
About 8.2 inches in a normal winter at Cochiti Dam, NM, most of it in December, with snow on the ground about 4 days a year.
How hot does it get in La Bajada?
July, with a typical high of 91° and a low of 59°. About 70 days a year reach 90° and 5 reach 100° (Cochiti Dam, NM).
When is the first and last frost in La Bajada?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 26 and the first fall frost by October 21, about 178 frost-free days, at Cochiti Dam, NM.
What growing zone is La Bajada in?
Zone 7a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 4°.
What is the best time of year to visit La Bajada?
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 La Bajada getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 50% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in La Bajada.
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.