La Union reaches 100° on about 19 days a year, more than 95% of U.S. towns
A typical July afternoon reaches 96°, a January night drops to 32°, and about 2 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in La Union at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about La Union’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with La Union’s place in New Mexico beside it.
What a year in La Union feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 264 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by February 28 and the first by November 20. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at La Tuna 1 S, TX, 5 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts La Union’s center in zone 8b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 17°. 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 2 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Santa Teresa Airport, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 9 inches a year; July is the wettest month and April the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 45 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in La Union
49% of the work is heating, so air conditioning is the bigger bill. Months averaging under 55° run from November through February.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at La Tuna 1 S, TX.
Living with La Union’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
264 frost-free days in zone 8b. The last frost comes by Feb 28 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Nov 20.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: March, April and October. 1.1 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in La Union from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (51%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 5%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →La Union and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around La Union yet.
Climates most like La Union’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 Union, NM | 32° | 96° | 9" | 2.0" |
| Mojave, CA | 33° | 97° | 8" | 1.2" |
| West Odessa, TX | 31° | 96° | 13" | 2.1" |
| Douglas, AZ | 31° | 94° | 13" | 0.5" |
| Ivins, UT | 32° | 100° | 11" | 1.2" |
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 Union averaged 1.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.7°).
A bigger shift than in 81% 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 Union compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with La Union’s place among New Mexico’s.
La Union weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at La Union’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Santa Teresa Airport. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 59° | 32° | 0.5" | 0.3" | 3 | 0 | 41° – 49° |
| February | 65° | 36° | 0.4" | 0.2" | 3 | 0 | 45° – 55° |
| March | 72° | 42° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 53° – 63° |
| April | 80° | 49° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 59° – 69° |
| May | 89° | 58° | 0.3" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 70° – 77° |
| June | 97° | 67° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 78° – 86° |
| July | 96° | 71° | 2.1" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 78° – 88° |
| August | 94° | 69° | 1.6" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 78° – 87° |
| September | 89° | 63° | 1.5" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 70° – 79° |
| October | 80° | 50° | 0.7" | 0.1" | 5 | 0 | 62° – 70° |
| November | 68° | 39° | 0.5" | 0.2" | 2 | 0 | 47° – 60° |
| December | 58° | 31° | 0.6" | 1.2" | 3 | 0 | 40° – 49° |
| Year | 79° | 50° | 9.0" | 2.0" | 45 | 1 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 47° to 60°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where La Union’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 Union’s center.
- Snow: Santa Teresa Airport.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: La Tuna 1 S, TX, 5 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 Union’s climate
What is the weather like in La Union?
A typical July afternoon reaches 96°, a January night drops to 32°, and about 2 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 75% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 97% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in La Union in winter?
December nights average 31°. About 53 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 40°.
How much snow does La Union get?
About 2.0 inches in a normal winter at Santa Teresa Airport, most of it in December, with snow on the ground about 1 days a year.
How hot does it get in La Union?
July, with a typical high of 96° and a low of 71°. About 114 days a year reach 90° and 19 reach 100° (La Tuna 1 S, TX).
When is the first and last frost in La Union?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by February 28 and the first fall frost by November 20, about 264 frost-free days, at La Tuna 1 S, TX.
What growing zone is La Union in?
Zone 8b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 17°.
What is the best time of year to visit La Union?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), March, April and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is La Union getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.8° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 81% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in La Union.
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.