Las Palomas reaches 100° on about 20 days a year, more than 95% of U.S. towns
Nights in January average 27°. Precipitation peaks in July and eases off in March. It is a dry place: less rain and snow fall here than on 98% of U.S. towns. Garden planting can start around March 13; autumn frost returns near November 15.
A year in Las Palomas at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Las Palomas’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Las Palomas’ place in New Mexico beside it.
What a year in Las Palomas feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 243 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 13 and the first by November 15. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Elephant Butte Dam, NM, 9 miles from the town’s center, 260 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Las Palomas’ center in zone 8a: 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 10 inches of rain a year
July is the wettest month and March the driest. Rain falls on about 45 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.9" in a normal year at Elephant Butte Dam, NM, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Las Palomas
56% 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 Elephant Butte Dam, NM.
Living with Las Palomas’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
243 frost-free days in zone 8a. The last frost comes by Mar 13 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 15.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April and October. 1.8 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Las Palomas from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (75%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 3%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Las Palomas and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Las Palomas yet.
Climates most like Las Palomas’, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Las Palomas, NM | 27° | 96° | 10" | 0.9" |
| Kermit, TX | 30° | 98° | 12" | 1.9" |
| Douglas, AZ | 31° | 94° | 13" | 0.5" |
| Mojave, CA | 33° | 97° | 8" | 1.2" |
| Silver Springs, NV | 23° | 95° | 5" | 4.5" |
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 Las Palomas averaged 1.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.3°).
A bigger shift than in 67% 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 Las Palomas compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Las Palomas’ place among New Mexico’s.
Las Palomas weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Las Palomas’ center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Elephant Butte Dam, NM. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 58° | 27° | 0.5" | 0.2" | 3 | 0 | 38° – 47° |
| February | 64° | 31° | 0.4" | 0.3" | 2 | 0 | 42° – 52° |
| March | 71° | 36° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 49° – 59° |
| April | 79° | 43° | 0.3" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 55° – 66° |
| May | 87° | 52° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 66° – 74° |
| June | 97° | 61° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 74° – 83° |
| July | 96° | 66° | 1.9" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 77° – 84° |
| August | 94° | 65° | 1.9" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 76° – 83° |
| September | 88° | 57° | 1.6" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 68° – 76° |
| October | 79° | 45° | 0.9" | 0.1" | 4 | 0 | 59° – 66° |
| November | 67° | 34° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 44° – 59° |
| December | 57° | 27° | 0.6" | 0.3" | 3 | 0 | 37° – 46° |
| Year | 78° | 45° | 9.6" | 0.9" | 45 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 44° to 59°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Las Palomas’ 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 Las Palomas’ center.
- Snow: Elephant Butte Dam, NM.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Elephant Butte Dam, NM, 9 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 Las Palomas’ climate
What is the weather like in Las Palomas?
A typical July afternoon reaches 96°, a January night drops to 27°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 68% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 97% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Las Palomas in winter?
January nights average 27°. About 69 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 38°.
How much snow does Las Palomas get?
About 0.9 inches in a normal winter at Elephant Butte Dam, NM, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Las Palomas?
July, with a typical high of 96° and a low of 66°. About 96 days a year reach 90° and 20 reach 100° (Elephant Butte Dam, NM).
When is the first and last frost in Las Palomas?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 13 and the first fall frost by November 15, about 243 frost-free days, at Elephant Butte Dam, NM.
What growing zone is Las Palomas in?
Zone 8a 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 Las Palomas?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), April and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Las Palomas getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.6° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 67% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Las Palomas.
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.