St. Joseph Apache Mission Church · Photo: Bozotexino · CC BY 3.0Dry weather: only 18 inches of rain and melted snow a year in Mescalero, less than in 91% of U.S. towns
January nights here settle around 25°. In July, afternoons here are cooler than in 72% of U.S. towns. March has warmed most since 1901–2000, part of a 1.7° rise. Garden planting can start around April 30; autumn frost returns near October 21.
A year in Mescalero at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Mescalero’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Mescalero’s place in New Mexico beside it.
What a year in Mescalero feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 173 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 30 and the first by October 21. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Mtn Park, NM, 13 miles from the town’s center, 370 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Mescalero’s center in zone 7a: 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 17 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Mtn Park, NM, falls mostly in January, February and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 18 inches a year; July is the wettest month and April the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 60 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Mescalero
93% 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 Mtn Park, NM.
Living with Mescalero’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
173 frost-free days in zone 7a. The last frost comes by Apr 30 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 21.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August, September and October. 5.4 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Mescalero from natural hazards, wildfire is the largest share (67%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 3%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Mescalero and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Mescalero yet.
Climates most like Mescalero’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mescalero, NM | 25° | 83° | 18" | 17" |
| La Grande, OR | 25° | 84° | 18" | 9.4" |
| Pullman, WA | 27° | 84° | 20" | 33" |
| Coeur d'Alene, ID | 26° | 83° | 26" | 27" |
| Polson, MT | 20° | 83° | 19" | 34" |
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 Mescalero 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 Mescalero compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Mescalero’s place among New Mexico’s.
Mescalero weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Mescalero’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Mtn Park, NM. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 49° | 25° | 1.1" | 3.9" | 4 | 2 | 33° – 42° |
| February | 53° | 28° | 1.0" | 4.2" | 4 | 2 | 36° – 45° |
| March | 59° | 32° | 0.9" | 2.4" | 4 | 1 | 42° – 51° |
| April | 67° | 37° | 0.6" | 0.7" | 2 | 0 | 48° – 57° |
| May | 75° | 44° | 0.9" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 56° – 65° |
| June | 84° | 53° | 1.2" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 65° – 72° |
| July | 83° | 57° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 66° – 73° |
| August | 81° | 56° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 66° – 72° |
| September | 76° | 51° | 2.1" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 60° – 67° |
| October | 68° | 42° | 1.6" | 1.1" | 4 | 0 | 52° – 59° |
| November | 57° | 32° | 1.0" | 1.0" | 3 | 0 | 38° – 50° |
| December | 49° | 26° | 1.2" | 4.0" | 4 | 4 | 33° – 44° |
| Year | 67° | 40° | 18.0" | 17.3" | 60 | 9 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 38° to 50°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Mescalero’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 Mescalero’s center.
- Snow: Mtn Park, NM.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Mtn Park, NM, 13 miles from the town’s center, 370 ft lower; 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 Mescalero’s climate
What is the weather like in Mescalero?
A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 25°, and about 17 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 64% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 72% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Mescalero in winter?
January nights average 25°. About 106 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 33°.
How much snow does Mescalero get?
About 17 inches in a normal winter at Mtn Park, NM, most of it in January, February and December, with snow on the ground about 9 days a year.
How hot does it get in Mescalero?
July, with a typical high of 83° and a low of 57°. About 5 days a year reach 90° (Mtn Park, NM).
When is the first and last frost in Mescalero?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 30 and the first fall frost by October 21, about 173 frost-free days, at Mtn Park, NM.
What growing zone is Mescalero in?
Zone 7a 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 Mescalero?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June, July, August, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Mescalero 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 Mescalero.
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.