Hardly any U.S. towns collect less precipitation than Mesita: 9 inches a year
On a normal January night the air cools to about 20°. Its July heat outdoes that of 83% of U.S. towns. Compared with 1901–2000, the average now sits 1.7° higher. Radiators earn their keep from November to March, the months that average under 50°.
A year in Mesita at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Mesita’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Mesita’s place in New Mexico beside it.
What a year in Mesita feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 145 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 13 and the first by October 4. Frost and day counts come from Cubero, NM, 13 miles away.
The 2023 USDA map puts Mesita’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 15 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Cubero, NM, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 9 inches a year; August is the wettest month and April the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 45 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Mesita
88% 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 Cubero, NM.
Living with Mesita’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
145 frost-free days in zone 7a. The last frost comes by May 13 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 and September. 3.1 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Mesita from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (72%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 13%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Mesita and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Mesita yet.
Climates most like Mesita’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mesita, NM | 20° | 91° | 9" | 15" |
| Snowflake, AZ | 20° | 90° | 10" | 13" |
| Johnson Lane, NV | 22° | 91° | 10" | 14" |
| Pueblo West, CO | 19° | 92° | 12" | 15" |
| Jerome, ID | 21° | 90° | 10" | 24" |
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 Mesita averaged 1.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.9°).
A bigger shift than in 75% 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 Mesita compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Mesita’s place among New Mexico’s.
Mesita weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Mesita’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Cubero, NM. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 50° | 20° | 0.4" | 3.9" | 3 | 2 | 29° – 40° |
| February | 55° | 24° | 0.3" | 2.4" | 3 | 1 | 34° – 44° |
| March | 63° | 29° | 0.4" | 1.4" | 2 | 0 | 42° – 51° |
| April | 70° | 36° | 0.3" | 0.7" | 2 | 0 | 48° – 58° |
| May | 80° | 44° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 57° – 68° |
| June | 90° | 54° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 68° – 75° |
| July | 91° | 60° | 1.6" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 72° – 80° |
| August | 88° | 58° | 1.9" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 70° – 77° |
| September | 82° | 50° | 1.2" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 61° – 69° |
| October | 72° | 38° | 0.7" | 0.6" | 3 | 0 | 51° – 60° |
| November | 59° | 27° | 0.5" | 1.4" | 2 | 0 | 37° – 49° |
| December | 49° | 20° | 0.5" | 4.6" | 2 | 2 | 28° – 40° |
| Year | 71° | 38° | 8.9" | 15.0" | 45 | 5 |
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 49°. August is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Mesita’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 Mesita’s center.
- Snow: Cubero, NM.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Cubero, NM, 13 miles from the town’s center, 530 ft higher; 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 Mesita’s climate
What is the weather like in Mesita?
A typical July afternoon reaches 91°, a January night drops to 20°, and about 15 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 58% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 83% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Mesita in winter?
December nights average 20°. About 162 nights a year reach 32° or below and 2 reach 0° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 28°.
How much snow does Mesita get?
About 15 inches in a normal winter at Cubero, NM, most of it in December, with snow on the ground about 5 days a year.
How hot does it get in Mesita?
July, with a typical high of 91° and a low of 60°. About 47 days a year reach 90° and 2 reach 100° (Cubero, NM).
When is the first and last frost in Mesita?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 13 and the first fall frost by October 4, about 145 frost-free days, at Cubero, NM.
What growing zone is Mesita 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 Mesita?
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 Mesita getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.7° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 75% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Mesita.
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.