Manzano is drier than 93% of U.S. towns: 16 inches of precipitation a year
January nights here settle around 22°. March has warmed most since 1901–2000, part of a 2.1° rise. The frost-free window for a garden runs roughly May 7 to October 9.
A year in Manzano at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Manzano’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Manzano’s place in New Mexico beside it.
What a year in Manzano feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 154 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 7 and the first by October 9. Frost and day counts come from Mountainair 8nw, NM, 3 miles away.
The 2023 USDA map puts Manzano’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 37 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Mountainair 8nw, NM, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 16 inches a year; July is the wettest month and April the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 73 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Manzano
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 Mountainair 8nw, NM.
Living with Manzano’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
154 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by May 7 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 9.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, August and September. 1.3 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Manzano from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (68%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 2%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Manzano and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Manzano yet.
Climates most like Manzano’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manzano, NM | 22° | 84° | 16" | 37" |
| Cheney, WA | 24° | 84° | 17" | 45" |
| Polson, MT | 20° | 83° | 19" | 34" |
| Cimarron Hills, CO | 18° | 85° | 17" | 33" |
| Klamath Falls, OR | 22° | 86° | 14" | 52" |
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 Manzano averaged 2.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+3.1°).
A bigger shift than in 93% 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 Manzano compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Manzano’s place among New Mexico’s.
Manzano weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Manzano’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Mountainair 8nw, NM. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 44° | 22° | 0.8" | 7.1" | 5 | 7 | 26° – 38° |
| February | 48° | 24° | 0.8" | 6.1" | 4 | 5 | 30° – 41° |
| March | 56° | 29° | 1.0" | 2.6" | 4 | 1 | 39° – 48° |
| April | 64° | 34° | 0.7" | 2.8" | 5 | 1 | 44° – 53° |
| May | 74° | 42° | 0.7" | 1.1" | 5 | 0 | 54° – 62° |
| June | 84° | 50° | 1.0" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 63° – 71° |
| July | 84° | 55° | 2.9" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 66° – 74° |
| August | 82° | 54° | 2.8" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 65° – 72° |
| September | 76° | 48° | 1.6" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 57° – 66° |
| October | 65° | 39° | 1.4" | 1.8" | 5 | 1 | 49° – 57° |
| November | 53° | 28° | 0.9" | 2.9" | 4 | 2 | 34° – 47° |
| December | 44° | 22° | 1.1" | 13.0" | 6 | 7 | 27° – 38° |
| Year | 64° | 37° | 15.6" | 37.4" | 73 | 23 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 34° to 47°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Manzano’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 Manzano’s center.
- Snow: Mountainair 8nw, NM.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Mountainair 8nw, NM, 3 miles from the town’s center, 510 ft lower; no station nearby passes every check; this is the nearest one in the same valley, flagged above.
- 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 Manzano’s climate
What is the weather like in Manzano?
A typical July afternoon reaches 84°, a January night drops to 22°, and about 37 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 50% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 58% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Manzano in winter?
December nights average 22°. About 163 nights a year reach 32° or below and 3 reach 0° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 27°.
How much snow does Manzano get?
About 37 inches in a normal winter at Mountainair 8nw, NM, most of it in December, with snow on the ground about 23 days a year.
How hot does it get in Manzano?
July, with a typical high of 84° and a low of 55°. About 39 days a year reach 90° (Mountainair 8nw, NM).
When is the first and last frost in Manzano?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 7 and the first fall frost by October 9, about 154 frost-free days, at Mountainair 8nw, NM.
What growing zone is Manzano 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 Manzano?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June, August and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Manzano getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 2.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 93% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Manzano.
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.