Photo: Jeffrey Beall · CC BY 4.0Dry weather: only 14 inches of rain and melted snow a year in Maxwell, less than in 94% of U.S. towns
Peak summer warmth arrives in July, with afternoons near 88°. In January, nights here are colder than in 83% of U.S. towns. March has warmed most since 1901–2000, part of a 1.1° rise. For walks and days out, May and September bring highs of 75–80°.
A year in Maxwell at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Maxwell’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Maxwell’s place in New Mexico beside it.
What a year in Maxwell feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 135 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 17 and the first by October 1. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Maxwell 3 Nw, NM, 3 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Maxwell’s center in zone 5b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −10°. 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 21 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Maxwell 3 Nw, NM, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 14 inches a year; July is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 55 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Maxwell
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 Maxwell 3 Nw, NM.
Living with Maxwell’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
135 frost-free days in zone 5b. The last frost comes by May 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 Oct 1.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May and September. 0.5 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Maxwell from natural hazards, wildfire is the largest share (53%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 2%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Maxwell and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Maxwell yet.
Climates most like Maxwell’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maxwell, NM | 15° | 88° | 14" | 21" |
| Blackfoot, ID | 16° | 88° | 11" | 15" |
| Ephraim, UT | 14° | 89° | 12" | 20" |
| Wellington, CO | 16° | 88° | 14" | 34" |
| 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 Maxwell averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.4°).
A smaller shift than in 71% 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 Maxwell compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Maxwell’s place among New Mexico’s.
Maxwell weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Maxwell’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Maxwell 3 Nw, NM. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 49° | 15° | 0.3" | 5.2" | 2 | 24° – 38° |
| February | 52° | 18° | 0.3" | 3.5" | 2 | 27° – 41° |
| March | 60° | 25° | 0.6" | 3.3" | 3 | 37° – 47° |
| April | 67° | 31° | 0.8" | 2.1" | 4 | 44° – 54° |
| May | 75° | 41° | 1.5" | 0.1" | 6 | 53° – 64° |
| June | 85° | 50° | 1.8" | 0.0" | 7 | 63° – 72° |
| July | 88° | 55° | 2.6" | 0.0" | 9 | 68° – 75° |
| August | 85° | 54° | 2.5" | 0.0" | 10 | 66° – 73° |
| September | 80° | 46° | 1.7" | 0.0" | 6 | 58° – 67° |
| October | 69° | 34° | 1.0" | 0.9" | 3 | 45° – 56° |
| November | 57° | 23° | 0.4" | 1.9" | 2 | 33° – 46° |
| December | 48° | 15° | 0.3" | 4.4" | 2 | 26° – 36° |
| Year | 68° | 34° | 13.8" | 21.4" | 55 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 27° to 41°. July is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Maxwell’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 Maxwell’s center.
- Snow: Maxwell 3 Nw, NM.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Maxwell 3 Nw, NM, 3 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 Maxwell’s climate
What is the weather like in Maxwell?
A typical July afternoon reaches 88°, a January night drops to 15°, and about 21 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 83% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 66% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Maxwell in winter?
December nights average 15°. About 189 nights a year reach 32° or below and 7 reach 0° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 26°.
How much snow does Maxwell get?
About 21 inches in a normal winter at Maxwell 3 Nw, NM, most of it in January.
How hot does it get in Maxwell?
July, with a typical high of 88° and a low of 55°. About 28 days a year reach 90° (Maxwell 3 Nw, NM).
When is the first and last frost in Maxwell?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 17 and the first fall frost by October 1, about 135 frost-free days, at Maxwell 3 Nw, NM.
What growing zone is Maxwell in?
Zone 5b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −10°.
What is the best time of year to visit Maxwell?
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 Maxwell getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 71% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Maxwell.
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.