Dry weather: only 17 inches of rain and melted snow a year in Luna, less than in 91% of U.S. towns
Expect July afternoons of about 83°. In January, nights here are colder than in 77% of U.S. towns. Decade by decade the climate has edged up, 1.3° above 1901–2000. Comfortable outdoor weather lasts from June to September, with highs of 77–83°.
A year in Luna at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Luna’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Luna’s place in New Mexico beside it.
What a year in Luna feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 93 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by June 17 and the first by September 21. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Luna Rs, NM, 0.4 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Luna’s center in zone 6a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −9°. 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 18 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Luna Rs, NM, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 17 inches a year; August is the wettest month and April the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 78 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Luna
98% 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 Luna Rs, NM.
Living with Luna’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
93 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by Jun 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 Sep 21.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July, August and September. 4.8 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Luna from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (47%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 1%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Luna and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Luna yet.
Climates most like Luna’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Luna, NM | 17° | 83° | 17" | 18" |
| Hamilton, MT | 20° | 86° | 13" | 17" |
| Cimarron Hills, CO | 18° | 85° | 17" | 33" |
| Deschutes River Woods, OR | 24° | 84° | 13" | 22" |
| Shelley, ID | 14° | 87° | 11" | 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 Luna averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.3°).
A smaller shift than in 57% 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 Luna compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Luna’s place among New Mexico’s.
Luna weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Luna’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Luna Rs, NM. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 50° | 17° | 1.2" | 5.4" | 5 | 7 | 28° – 38° |
| February | 52° | 20° | 1.0" | 1.7" | 5 | 3 | 31° – 42° |
| March | 58° | 24° | 0.9" | 1.4" | 5 | 1 | 34° – 47° |
| April | 65° | 29° | 0.5" | 0.7" | 3 | 0 | 41° – 52° |
| May | 74° | 35° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 50° – 59° |
| June | 83° | 43° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 59° – 67° |
| July | 83° | 51° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 15 | 0 | 64° – 71° |
| August | 81° | 50° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 15 | 0 | 63° – 70° |
| September | 77° | 43° | 2.1" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 57° – 63° |
| October | 68° | 32° | 1.4" | 0.1" | 5 | 0 | 47° – 55° |
| November | 58° | 23° | 1.1" | 1.4" | 4 | 1 | 33° – 49° |
| December | 49° | 16° | 1.3" | 6.9" | 5 | 6 | 27° – 38° |
| Year | 67° | 32° | 17.2" | 17.6" | 78 | 18 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 33° to 49°. September is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Luna’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 Luna’s center.
- Snow: Luna Rs, NM (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Luna Rs, NM, 0.4 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 Luna’s climate
What is the weather like in Luna?
A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 17°, and about 18 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 77% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 66% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Luna in winter?
December nights average 16°. About 233 nights a year reach 32° or below and 9 reach 0° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 27°.
How much snow does Luna get?
About 18 inches in a normal winter at Luna Rs, NM, most of it in December, with snow on the ground about 18 days a year.
How hot does it get in Luna?
July, with a typical high of 83° and a low of 51°. About 15 days a year reach 90° (Luna Rs, NM).
When is the first and last frost in Luna?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by June 17 and the first fall frost by September 21, about 93 frost-free days, at Luna Rs, NM.
What growing zone is Luna in?
Zone 6a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −9°.
What is the best time of year to visit Luna?
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 Luna getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.3° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 57% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Luna.
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.