Lake Valley sits near the bottom of U.S. towns for precipitation, with 8 inches a year
The warmest part of a July day comes in at 91° on average. The wettest month is August; the driest is June. In July, afternoons here are warmer than in 83% of U.S. towns. Picnics, hikes and garden evenings suit May and September, with highs of 76–81°.
A year in Lake Valley at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Lake Valley’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Lake Valley’s place in New Mexico beside it.
What a year in Lake Valley feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 120 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 28 and the first by September 27. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Chaco Canyon Natl Mon, NM, 15 miles from the town’s center, 260 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Lake Valley’s center in zone 6b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −2°. 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 11 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Chaco Canyon Natl Mon, NM, is heaviest from January through February, about 3 inches a month. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 8 inches a year; August is the wettest month and June the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 60 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Lake Valley
92% 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 Chaco Canyon Natl Mon, NM.
Living with Lake Valley’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
120 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by May 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 Sep 27.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May and September. 6.8 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Lake Valley from natural hazards, drought is the largest share (62%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 5%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Lake Valley and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Lake Valley yet.
Climates most like Lake Valley’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 Valley, NM | 18° | 91° | 8" | 11" |
| Snowflake, AZ | 20° | 90° | 10" | 13" |
| Pueblo West, CO | 19° | 92° | 12" | 15" |
| Price, UT | 14° | 92° | 9" | 8.7" |
| Johnson Lane, NV | 22° | 91° | 10" | 14" |
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 Valley averaged 1.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.5°).
A bigger 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 Lake Valley compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Lake Valley’s place among New Mexico’s.
Lake Valley weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Lake Valley’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Chaco Canyon Natl Mon, NM. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 43° | 18° | 0.5" | 2.7" | 4 | 24° – 37° |
| February | 49° | 22° | 0.5" | 2.7" | 5 | 31° – 41° |
| March | 59° | 28° | 0.5" | 1.3" | 4 | 39° – 47° |
| April | 66° | 34° | 0.5" | 0.7" | 4 | 45° – 54° |
| May | 76° | 43° | 0.5" | 0.1" | 4 | 55° – 64° |
| June | 88° | 52° | 0.3" | 0.0" | 3 | 65° – 76° |
| July | 91° | 59° | 1.2" | 0.0" | 8 | 71° – 78° |
| August | 88° | 58° | 1.4" | 0.0" | 9 | 70° – 79° |
| September | 81° | 49° | 1.0" | 0.0" | 6 | 60° – 68° |
| October | 69° | 37° | 0.8" | 0.3" | 5 | 47° – 57° |
| November | 54° | 25° | 0.6" | 1.6" | 4 | 33° – 46° |
| December | 43° | 18° | 0.7" | 1.8" | 5 | 24° – 37° |
| Year | 67° | 37° | 8.4" | 11.2" | 60 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 24° to 37°. July is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Lake Valley’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 Valley’s center.
- Snow: Chaco Canyon Natl Mon, NM.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Chaco Canyon Natl Mon, NM, 15 miles from the town’s center, 260 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 Lake Valley’s climate
What is the weather like in Lake Valley?
A typical July afternoon reaches 91°, a January night drops to 18°, and about 11 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 71% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 83% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Lake Valley in winter?
January nights average 18°. About 184 nights a year reach 32° or below and 7 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 24°.
How much snow does Lake Valley get?
About 11 inches in a normal winter at Chaco Canyon Natl Mon, NM, heaviest from January through February, about 3 inches a month.
How hot does it get in Lake Valley?
July, with a typical high of 91° and a low of 59°. About 43 days a year reach 90° (Chaco Canyon Natl Mon, NM).
When is the first and last frost in Lake Valley?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 28 and the first fall frost by September 27, about 120 frost-free days, at Chaco Canyon Natl Mon, NM.
What growing zone is Lake Valley in?
Zone 6b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −2°.
What is the best time of year to visit Lake Valley?
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 Lake Valley getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.5° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 56% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Lake Valley.
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.