Less rain and snow falls on La Jara than on 93% of U.S. towns: 16 inches a year
Midsummer highs settle at about 84°. By January nights alone, it runs colder than 91% of U.S. towns. March has warmed most since 1901–2000, part of a 1.3° rise. Keep the boiler serviced for the months from October to April, which average under 50°.
A year in La Jara at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about La Jara’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with La Jara’s place in New Mexico beside it.
What a year in La Jara feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 134 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 21 and the first by October 3. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Johnson Rch, NM, 13 miles from the town’s center, 280 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts La Jara’s center in zone 5b: 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 34 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Cuba, NM, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 16 inches a year; July is the wettest month and June the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 53 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in La Jara
95% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. 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 Johnson Rch, NM.
Living with La Jara’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
134 frost-free days in zone 5b. The last frost comes by May 21 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 3.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July, August and September. 8.1 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in La Jara from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (57%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 2%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →La Jara and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around La Jara yet.
Climates most like La Jara’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 Jara, NM | 12° | 84° | 16" | 34" |
| Helena, MT | 15° | 85° | 12" | 37" |
| Gypsum, CO | 11° | 86° | 14" | 39" |
| Rapid City, SD | 14° | 86° | 19" | 36" |
| Cody, WY | 14° | 85° | 11" | 45" |
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 Jara averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.5°).
A smaller shift than in 56% 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 Jara compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with La Jara’s place among New Mexico’s.
La Jara weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at La Jara’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Cuba, NM. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 41° | 12° | 1.2" | 7.6" | 3 | 20° – 33° |
| February | 44° | 16° | 1.2" | 7.0" | 4 | 24° – 36° |
| March | 52° | 22° | 1.2" | 5.3" | 4 | 34° – 42° |
| April | 60° | 28° | 1.0" | 0.5" | 3 | 40° – 48° |
| May | 70° | 35° | 0.9" | 0.1" | 4 | 48° – 57° |
| June | 82° | 44° | 0.7" | 0.1" | 3 | 58° – 66° |
| July | 84° | 51° | 2.3" | 0.0" | 7 | 64° – 71° |
| August | 81° | 49° | 2.3" | 0.0" | 10 | 62° – 70° |
| September | 75° | 41° | 1.7" | 0.0" | 5 | 53° – 61° |
| October | 63° | 30° | 1.2" | 1.5" | 4 | 43° – 51° |
| November | 50° | 21° | 0.9" | 3.5" | 3 | 28° – 42° |
| December | 41° | 13° | 1.2" | 8.5" | 4 | 23° – 33° |
| Year | 62° | 30° | 15.6" | 34.1" | 53 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 28° to 42°. July is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where La Jara’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 Jara’s center.
- Snow: Cuba, NM.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Johnson Rch, NM, 13 miles from the town’s center, 280 ft lower; 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 Jara’s climate
What is the weather like in La Jara?
A typical July afternoon reaches 84°, a January night drops to 12°, and about 34 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 91% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 60% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in La Jara in winter?
January nights average 12°. About 196 nights a year reach 32° or below and 6 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 20°.
How much snow does La Jara get?
About 34 inches in a normal winter at Cuba, NM, most of it in December.
How hot does it get in La Jara?
July, with a typical high of 84° and a low of 51°. About 24 days a year reach 90° (Johnson Rch, NM).
When is the first and last frost in La Jara?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 21 and the first fall frost by October 3, about 134 frost-free days, at Johnson Rch, NM.
What growing zone is La Jara in?
Zone 5b 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 La Jara?
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 Jara getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.3° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 56% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in La Jara.
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.