Photo: AllenS · Public domainLess rain and snow falls on Moriarty than on 94% of U.S. towns: 14 inches a year
High summer brings afternoon highs near 88°. The seasons are far apart: from a winter night to a summer afternoon the average spans 71°. Its January nights bite harder than in 73% of U.S. towns. Garden planting can start around May 14; autumn frost returns near October 4.
A year in Moriarty at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Moriarty’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Moriarty’s place in New Mexico beside it.
What a year in Moriarty feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 142 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 14 and the first by October 4. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Moriarty 1 Ne, NM, 0.7 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Moriarty’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 22 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Stanley 2 Nne, NM, falls mostly in December. 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 52 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Moriarty
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 Moriarty 1 Ne, NM.
Living with Moriarty’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
142 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by May 14 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: September. 3.7 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Moriarty from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (71%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 3%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Moriarty and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Moriarty yet.
Climates most like Moriarty’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Moriarty, NM | 17° | 88° | 14" | 22" |
| Rupert, ID | 20° | 89° | 10" | 21" |
| Fort Carson, CO | 18° | 89° | 15" | 33" |
| Ephraim, UT | 14° | 89° | 12" | 20" |
| Sidney, NE | 15° | 89° | 17" | 29" |
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 Moriarty averaged 1.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+3.2°).
A bigger shift than in 86% 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 Moriarty compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Moriarty’s place among New Mexico’s.
Moriarty weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Moriarty’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Stanley 2 Nne, NM. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 46° | 17° | 0.5" | 4.5" | 3 | 6 | 24° – 37° |
| February | 52° | 21° | 0.5" | 2.8" | 3 | 3 | 30° – 42° |
| March | 60° | 26° | 0.7" | 3.2" | 3 | 2 | 39° – 48° |
| April | 67° | 32° | 0.6" | 1.6" | 3 | 1 | 45° – 55° |
| May | 77° | 40° | 1.0" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 54° – 64° |
| June | 87° | 49° | 0.9" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 64° – 72° |
| July | 88° | 55° | 2.6" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 68° – 75° |
| August | 86° | 53° | 2.4" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 67° – 73° |
| September | 80° | 46° | 1.6" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 58° – 67° |
| October | 69° | 34° | 1.2" | 0.4" | 4 | 0 | 49° – 56° |
| November | 56° | 24° | 0.7" | 3.2" | 3 | 2 | 32° – 47° |
| December | 46° | 17° | 0.8" | 6.6" | 3 | 6 | 25° – 37° |
| Year | 68° | 34° | 13.5" | 22.3" | 52 | 20 |
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 47°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Moriarty’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 Moriarty’s center.
- Snow: Stanley 2 Nne, NM.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Moriarty 1 Ne, NM, 0.7 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 Moriarty’s climate
What is the weather like in Moriarty?
A typical July afternoon reaches 88°, a January night drops to 17°, and about 22 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 73% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 70% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Moriarty in winter?
December nights average 17°. About 181 nights a year reach 32° or below and 4 reach 0° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 25°.
How much snow does Moriarty get?
About 22 inches in a normal winter at Stanley 2 Nne, NM, most of it in December, with snow on the ground about 20 days a year.
How hot does it get in Moriarty?
July, with a typical high of 88° and a low of 55°. About 34 days a year reach 90° (Moriarty 1 Ne, NM).
When is the first and last frost in Moriarty?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 14 and the first fall frost by October 4, about 142 frost-free days, at Moriarty 1 Ne, NM.
What growing zone is Moriarty 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 Moriarty?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Moriarty getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 86% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Moriarty.
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.