Photo: jclarson · CC BY 2.0Magdalena’s winters are colder but less snowy than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 85°, a January night drops to 21°, and about 7 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Magdalena at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Magdalena’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Magdalena’s place in New Mexico beside it.
What a year in Magdalena feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 137 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 19 and the first by October 4. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Augustine 2e, NM, 22 miles from the town’s center, 380 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Magdalena’s center in zone 7a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 3°. 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 7 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Augustine 2e, NM, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 12 inches a year; July is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 48 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Magdalena
95% 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 Augustine 2e, NM.
Living with Magdalena’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
137 frost-free days in zone 7a. The last frost comes by May 19 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 4.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, August and September. 8.2 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Magdalena from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (64%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 2%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Magdalena and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Magdalena yet.
Climates most like Magdalena’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Magdalena, NM | 21° | 85° | 12" | 6.6" |
| Prineville, OR | 25° | 87° | 11" | 8.8" |
| Hamilton, MT | 20° | 86° | 13" | 17" |
| Indian Hills, NV | 25° | 86° | 14" | 14" |
| Show Low, AZ | 19° | 86° | 15" | 19" |
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 Magdalena averaged 1.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.8°).
A bigger shift than in 73% 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 Magdalena compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Magdalena’s place among New Mexico’s.
Magdalena weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Magdalena’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Augustine 2e, NM. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 47° | 21° | 0.6" | 1.4" | 3 | 0 | 27° – 39° |
| February | 52° | 25° | 0.3" | 1.5" | 3 | 0 | 34° – 43° |
| March | 59° | 30° | 0.5" | 0.8" | 3 | 0 | 40° – 50° |
| April | 66° | 36° | 0.4" | 0.1" | 2 | 0 | 45° – 56° |
| May | 76° | 44° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 56° – 64° |
| June | 85° | 53° | 0.7" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 66° – 73° |
| July | 85° | 58° | 2.9" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 69° – 75° |
| August | 82° | 56° | 2.5" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 66° – 73° |
| September | 77° | 50° | 1.8" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 59° – 67° |
| October | 68° | 38° | 0.9" | 0.4" | 4 | 0 | 50° – 57° |
| November | 56° | 29° | 0.6" | 0.5" | 3 | 0 | 37° – 50° |
| December | 48° | 21° | 0.7" | 1.9" | 3 | 0 | 29° – 40° |
| Year | 67° | 38° | 12.3" | 6.6" | 48 | 1 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 37° to 50°. July is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Magdalena’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 Magdalena’s center.
- Snow: Augustine 2e, NM.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Augustine 2e, NM, 22 miles from the town’s center, 380 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 Magdalena’s climate
What is the weather like in Magdalena?
A typical July afternoon reaches 85°, a January night drops to 21°, and about 7 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 52% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 51% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Magdalena in winter?
December nights average 21°. About 176 nights a year reach 32° or below and 4 reach 0° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 29°.
How much snow does Magdalena get?
About 6.6 inches in a normal winter at Augustine 2e, NM, most of it in December, with snow on the ground about 1 days a year.
How hot does it get in Magdalena?
July, with a typical high of 85° and a low of 58°. About 11 days a year reach 90° (Augustine 2e, NM).
When is the first and last frost in Magdalena?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 19 and the first fall frost by October 4, about 137 frost-free days, at Augustine 2e, NM.
What growing zone is Magdalena in?
Zone 7a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 3°.
What is the best time of year to visit Magdalena?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, August and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Magdalena getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.7° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 73% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Magdalena.
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.