Old Dowlin Mill · Photo: MRobison · CC BY-SA 3.0Dry weather: only 17 inches of rain and melted snow a year in McGaffey, less than in 92% of U.S. towns
In January the night’s low is typically 16°. A year here swings 66° from midwinter lows to midsummer highs. Winter nights are cold: in January they are colder than in 79% of U.S. towns. Keep the boiler serviced for the months from October to April, which average under 50°.
A year in McGaffey at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about McGaffey’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with McGaffey’s place in New Mexico beside it.
What a year in McGaffey feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 109 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by June 5 and the first by September 25. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Mcgaffey 5 Se, NM, 5 miles from the town’s center, 160 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts McGaffey’s center in zone 6a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −6°. 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 42 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Mcgaffey 5 Se, NM, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 17 inches a year; August is the wettest month and June the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 61 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in McGaffey
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 Mcgaffey 5 Se, NM.
Living with McGaffey’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
109 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by Jun 5 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 25.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July, August and September. 4.9 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in McGaffey from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (62%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 13%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →McGaffey and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around McGaffey yet.
Climates most like McGaffey’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| McGaffey, NM | 16° | 82° | 17" | 42" |
| Kalispell, MT | 18° | 83° | 16" | 54" |
| Gleneagle, CO | 14° | 84° | 21" | 55" |
| Cody, WY | 14° | 85° | 11" | 45" |
| Doney Park, AZ | 17° | 86° | 16" | 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 McGaffey averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.5°).
A smaller shift than in 54% 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 McGaffey compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with McGaffey’s place among New Mexico’s.
McGaffey weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at McGaffey’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Mcgaffey 5 Se, NM. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 42° | 16° | 1.6" | 9.0" | 5 | 24° – 34° |
| February | 45° | 19° | 1.3" | 8.7" | 6 | 27° – 38° |
| March | 52° | 24° | 1.2" | 6.6" | 5 | 33° – 43° |
| April | 59° | 30° | 0.9" | 2.4" | 3 | 40° – 49° |
| May | 69° | 37° | 0.8" | 0.2" | 3 | 49° – 57° |
| June | 81° | 46° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 2 | 59° – 68° |
| July | 82° | 53° | 2.3" | 0.0" | 9 | 64° – 72° |
| August | 79° | 52° | 2.5" | 0.0" | 10 | 63° – 69° |
| September | 74° | 45° | 1.6" | 0.0" | 6 | 55° – 62° |
| October | 64° | 34° | 1.2" | 2.5" | 4 | 45° – 54° |
| November | 52° | 24° | 1.3" | 2.6" | 4 | 30° – 44° |
| December | 42° | 16° | 1.3" | 10.1" | 4 | 24° – 35° |
| Year | 62° | 33° | 16.5" | 42.1" | 61 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 30° to 44°. August is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where McGaffey’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 McGaffey’s center.
- Snow: Mcgaffey 5 Se, NM.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Mcgaffey 5 Se, NM, 5 miles from the town’s center, 160 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 McGaffey’s climate
What is the weather like in McGaffey?
A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to 16°, and about 42 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 79% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 77% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in McGaffey in winter?
January nights average 16°. About 225 nights a year reach 32° or below and 24 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 24°.
How much snow does McGaffey get?
About 42 inches in a normal winter at Mcgaffey 5 Se, NM, most of it in December.
How hot does it get in McGaffey?
July, with a typical high of 82° and a low of 53°. About 7 days a year reach 90° (Mcgaffey 5 Se, NM).
When is the first and last frost in McGaffey?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by June 5 and the first fall frost by September 25, about 109 frost-free days, at Mcgaffey 5 Se, NM.
What growing zone is McGaffey in?
Zone 6a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −6°.
What is the best time of year to visit McGaffey?
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 McGaffey getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.3° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 54% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in McGaffey.
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.