Lake Sumner reaches 100° on about 17 days a year, more than 94% of U.S. towns
On a normal January night the air cools to about 25°. July is the wettest month here, with about 7.3 times the rain of January. It is a dry place: less rain and snow fall here than on 94% of U.S. towns. Tender plants can go out after about April 17; in half of years the first frost comes by October 28.
A year in Lake Sumner at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Lake Sumner’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Lake Sumner’s place in New Mexico beside it.
What a year in Lake Sumner feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 192 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 17 and the first by October 28. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Sumner Lake, NM, 1.9 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Lake Sumner’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 10 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Sumner Lake, NM, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 14 inches a year; July is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 52 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Lake Sumner
68% of the work is heating. Months averaging under 55° run from November through March.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Sumner Lake, NM.
Living with Lake Sumner’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
192 frost-free days in zone 7a. The last frost comes by Apr 17 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 28.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May and October. 8.6 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Lake Sumner from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (52%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 3%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Lake Sumner and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Lake Sumner yet.
Climates most like Lake Sumner’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Sumner, NM | 25° | 93° | 14" | 9.5" |
| Emmett, ID | 23° | 93° | 13" | 7.4" |
| Chino Valley, AZ | 27° | 92° | 11" | 10" |
| Dumas, TX | 23° | 93° | 18" | 9.1" |
| Ontario, OR | 23° | 93° | 10" | 15" |
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 Lake Sumner averaged 1.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.6°).
A bigger shift than in 68% 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 Lake Sumner compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Lake Sumner’s place among New Mexico’s.
Lake Sumner weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Lake Sumner’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Sumner Lake, NM. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 54° | 25° | 0.4" | 2.4" | 2 | 2 | 33° – 44° |
| February | 59° | 28° | 0.4" | 1.7" | 2 | 1 | 39° – 51° |
| March | 67° | 34° | 0.6" | 0.7" | 3 | 0 | 46° – 56° |
| April | 74° | 41° | 0.8" | 0.3" | 3 | 0 | 51° – 63° |
| May | 83° | 51° | 1.1" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 63° – 73° |
| June | 92° | 60° | 1.4" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 71° – 80° |
| July | 93° | 65° | 2.6" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 74° – 84° |
| August | 91° | 63° | 2.3" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 73° – 82° |
| September | 84° | 56° | 1.7" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 65° – 75° |
| October | 74° | 43° | 1.4" | 0.3" | 5 | 0 | 55° – 64° |
| November | 63° | 33° | 0.5" | 0.7" | 2 | 1 | 41° – 53° |
| December | 54° | 25° | 0.5" | 3.4" | 3 | 2 | 33° – 44° |
| Year | 74° | 44° | 13.7" | 9.5" | 52 | 7 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 41° to 53°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Lake Sumner’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 Lake Sumner’s center.
- Snow: Sumner Lake, NM (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Sumner Lake, NM, 1.9 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 Lake Sumner’s climate
What is the weather like in Lake Sumner?
A typical July afternoon reaches 93°, a January night drops to 25°, and about 10 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 62% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 91% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Lake Sumner in winter?
January nights average 25°. About 109 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 33°.
How much snow does Lake Sumner get?
About 9.5 inches in a normal winter at Sumner Lake, NM, most of it in December, with snow on the ground about 7 days a year.
How hot does it get in Lake Sumner?
July, with a typical high of 93° and a low of 65°. About 92 days a year reach 90° and 17 reach 100° (Sumner Lake, NM).
When is the first and last frost in Lake Sumner?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 17 and the first fall frost by October 28, about 192 frost-free days, at Sumner Lake, NM.
What growing zone is Lake Sumner 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 Lake Sumner?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), April, May and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Lake Sumner getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.6° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 68% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Lake Sumner.
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.