Middle Mesa sits near the bottom of U.S. towns for precipitation, with 13 inches a year
The warmest part of a July day comes in at 90° on average. Only 73° separates winter nights from summer afternoons. By January nights alone, it runs colder than 80% of U.S. towns. Warm coats and heating bills mark the months from November to April, when means dip under 50°.
A year in Middle Mesa at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Middle Mesa’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Middle Mesa’s place in New Mexico beside it.
What a year in Middle Mesa feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 128 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 23 and the first by September 29. Frost and day counts come from Ignacio 6ese, CO, 7 miles away.
The 2023 USDA map puts Middle Mesa’s center in zone 6b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −5°. 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 8 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Navajo Dam, NM, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 13 inches a year; August is the wettest month and June the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 59 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Middle Mesa
96% 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 Ignacio 6ese, CO.
Living with Middle Mesa’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
128 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by May 23 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 29.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May and September. 2.6 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Middle Mesa from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (83%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 8%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Middle Mesa and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Middle Mesa yet.
Climates most like Middle Mesa’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Middle Mesa, NM | 16° | 90° | 13" | 7.7" |
| Snowflake, AZ | 20° | 90° | 10" | 13" |
| Blackfoot, ID | 16° | 88° | 11" | 15" |
| Price, UT | 14° | 92° | 9" | 8.7" |
| Pueblo West, CO | 19° | 92° | 12" | 15" |
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 Middle Mesa averaged 1.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.2°).
A bigger shift than in 74% 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 Middle Mesa compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Middle Mesa’s place among New Mexico’s.
Middle Mesa weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Middle Mesa’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Navajo Dam, NM. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 42° | 16° | 1.0" | 2.8" | 5 | 2 | 22° – 36° |
| February | 47° | 21° | 0.9" | 1.6" | 5 | 1 | 28° – 40° |
| March | 56° | 27° | 0.8" | 0.3" | 5 | 0 | 37° – 47° |
| April | 64° | 33° | 0.9" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 44° – 53° |
| May | 74° | 40° | 0.8" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 51° – 62° |
| June | 85° | 49° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 62° – 72° |
| July | 90° | 56° | 1.5" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 69° – 76° |
| August | 86° | 55° | 1.7" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 67° – 75° |
| September | 79° | 47° | 1.5" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 57° – 67° |
| October | 67° | 36° | 1.1" | 0.5" | 5 | 0 | 46° – 55° |
| November | 53° | 26° | 1.0" | 0.4" | 4 | 0 | 32° – 46° |
| December | 42° | 18° | 1.0" | 2.1" | 5 | 1 | 24° – 36° |
| Year | 65° | 35° | 12.7" | 7.7" | 59 | 4 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 32° to 46°. July is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Middle Mesa’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 Middle Mesa’s center.
- Snow: Navajo Dam, NM.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Ignacio 6ese, CO, 7 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height; 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 Middle Mesa’s climate
What is the weather like in Middle Mesa?
A typical July afternoon reaches 90°, a January night drops to 16°, and about 8 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 80% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 75% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Middle Mesa in winter?
January nights average 16°. About 202 nights a year reach 32° or below and 9 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 22°.
How much snow does Middle Mesa get?
About 7.7 inches in a normal winter at Navajo Dam, NM, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 4 days a year.
How hot does it get in Middle Mesa?
July, with a typical high of 90° and a low of 56°. About 21 days a year reach 90° (Ignacio 6ese, CO).
When is the first and last frost in Middle Mesa?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 23 and the first fall frost by September 29, about 128 frost-free days, at Ignacio 6ese, CO.
What growing zone is Middle Mesa in?
Zone 6b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −5°.
What is the best time of year to visit Middle Mesa?
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 Middle Mesa getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.7° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 74% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Middle Mesa.
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.