Photo: Tdigkhang · CC BY-SA 4.0La Cienega’s winters are colder but less snowy than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 89°, a January night drops to 19°, and about 20 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in La Cienega at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about La Cienega’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with La Cienega’s place in New Mexico beside it.
What a year in La Cienega feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 164 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 4 and the first by October 15. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Santa Fe Co Muni Airport, 2.9 miles from the town’s center, 190 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts La Cienega’s 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 20 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Santa Fe 2, NM, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 13 inches a year; August is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 64 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in La Cienega
89% 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 Santa Fe Co Muni Airport.
Living with La Cienega’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
164 frost-free days in zone 7a. The last frost comes by May 4 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 15.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May and September. 15 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in La Cienega 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 Cienega and its neighbors
Santa Fe has the coldest January nights next door (18°, 1° colder). Differences under a degree are within what the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like La Cienega’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 Cienega, NM | 19° | 89° | 13" | 20" |
| Rupert, ID | 20° | 89° | 10" | 21" |
| Richfield, UT | 16° | 90° | 11" | 18" |
| Gardnerville Ranchos, NV | 23° | 90° | 11" | 22" |
| Snowflake, AZ | 20° | 90° | 10" | 13" |
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 La Cienega averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.6°).
A smaller shift than in 55% 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 Cienega compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with La Cienega’s place among New Mexico’s.
La Cienega weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at La Cienega’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Santa Fe 2, NM. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 46° | 19° | 0.6" | 3.7" | 3 | 3 | 26° – 38° |
| February | 51° | 23° | 0.5" | 2.4" | 4 | 2 | 32° – 43° |
| March | 60° | 28° | 0.8" | 3.9" | 4 | 1 | 40° – 49° |
| April | 67° | 34° | 0.6" | 0.4" | 4 | 0 | 47° – 56° |
| May | 77° | 43° | 0.8" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 55° – 66° |
| June | 88° | 52° | 0.9" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 66° – 74° |
| July | 89° | 58° | 2.2" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 70° – 78° |
| August | 87° | 56° | 2.2" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 69° – 75° |
| September | 81° | 49° | 1.4" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 59° – 68° |
| October | 69° | 37° | 1.3" | 1.3" | 5 | 0 | 50° – 57° |
| November | 55° | 26° | 0.8" | 1.7" | 4 | 1 | 34° – 47° |
| December | 45° | 19° | 0.9" | 6.8" | 4 | 3 | 27° – 36° |
| Year | 68° | 37° | 12.9" | 20.2" | 64 | 9 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 34° to 47°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where La Cienega’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 Cienega’s center.
- Snow: Santa Fe 2, NM.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Santa Fe Co Muni Airport, 2.9 miles from the town’s center, 190 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 La Cienega’s climate
What is the weather like in La Cienega?
A typical July afternoon reaches 89°, a January night drops to 19°, and about 20 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 63% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 74% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in La Cienega in winter?
December nights average 19°. About 153 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 27°.
How much snow does La Cienega get?
About 20 inches in a normal winter at Santa Fe 2, NM, most of it in December, with snow on the ground about 9 days a year.
How hot does it get in La Cienega?
July, with a typical high of 89° and a low of 58°. About 41 days a year reach 90° (Santa Fe Co Muni Airport).
When is the first and last frost in La Cienega?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 4 and the first fall frost by October 15, about 164 frost-free days, at Santa Fe Co Muni Airport.
What growing zone is La Cienega 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 La Cienega?
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 Cienega getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.3° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 55% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in La Cienega.
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.