La Cueva gets about 111 inches of snow a winter, more than 98% of U.S. towns
In July the day’s top temperature is typically 80°. Summers stay cool: July afternoons here are cooler than in 92% of U.S. towns. Warming shows here too: 1.2° more than in 1901–2000, led by March. Tender plants can go out after about June 19; in half of years the first frost comes by September 13.
A year in La Cueva at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about La Cueva’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with La Cueva’s place in New Mexico beside it.
What a year in La Cueva feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 83 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by June 19 and the first by September 13. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Wolf Canyon, NM, 8 miles from the town’s center, 190 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts La Cueva’s center in zone 6b: 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°
About 111 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Wolf Canyon, NM, falls mostly in January and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 17 inches a year; August is the wettest month and June the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 86 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in La Cueva
Nearly all of the work is heating: a normal year has almost no cooling days. 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 Wolf Canyon, NM.
Living with La Cueva’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
83 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by Jun 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 Sep 13.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July, August and September. 2.0 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in La Cueva from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (54%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 1%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →La Cueva and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around La Cueva yet.
Climates most like La Cueva’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 Cueva, NM | 14° | 80° | 17" | 111" |
| Black Forest, CO | 16° | 81° | 20" | 121" |
| Lewistown, MT | 12° | 82° | 18" | 112" |
| Park City, UT | 18° | 81° | 23" | 153" |
| Flagstaff, AZ | 16° | 84° | 18" | 90" |
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 Cueva averaged 1.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.3°).
A smaller shift than in 64% 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 Cueva compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with La Cueva’s place among New Mexico’s.
La Cueva weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at La Cueva’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Wolf Canyon, NM. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 39° | 14° | 1.2" | 22.8" | 7 | 24 | 21° – 33° |
| February | 42° | 18° | 1.1" | 20.1" | 7 | 19 | 23° – 35° |
| March | 50° | 24° | 1.2" | 16.8" | 6 | 11 | 33° – 42° |
| April | 57° | 29° | 1.0" | 11.9" | 5 | 3 | 39° – 47° |
| May | 68° | 37° | 1.0" | 2.2" | 5 | 0 | 48° – 57° |
| June | 79° | 45° | 0.8" | 0.1" | 4 | 0 | 57° – 66° |
| July | 80° | 51° | 2.5" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 62° – 70° |
| August | 78° | 49° | 2.8" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 60° – 68° |
| September | 71° | 42° | 1.8" | 0.2" | 8 | 0 | 51° – 60° |
| October | 61° | 32° | 1.5" | 3.5" | 6 | 1 | 43° – 51° |
| November | 48° | 22° | 1.2" | 11.4" | 5 | 7 | 27° – 42° |
| December | 39° | 14° | 1.3" | 22.3" | 7 | 20 | 22° – 32° |
| Year | 59° | 31° | 17.4" | 111.3" | 86 | 85 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 27° to 42°. July is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where La Cueva’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 Cueva’s center.
- Snow: Wolf Canyon, NM.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Wolf Canyon, NM, 8 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 Cueva’s climate
What is the weather like in La Cueva?
A typical July afternoon reaches 80°, a January night drops to 14°, and about 111 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 87% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 92% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in La Cueva in winter?
January nights average 14°. About 243 nights a year reach 32° or below and 17 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 21°.
How much snow does La Cueva get?
About 111 inches in a normal winter at Wolf Canyon, NM, most of it in January and December, with snow on the ground about 85 days a year.
How hot does it get in La Cueva?
July, with a typical high of 80°. 90° days are rare: none in a normal year at Wolf Canyon, NM.
When is the first and last frost in La Cueva?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by June 19 and the first fall frost by September 13, about 83 frost-free days, at Wolf Canyon, NM.
What growing zone is La Cueva in?
Zone 6b 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 Cueva?
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 La Cueva getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.2° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 64% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in La Cueva.
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.