Navajo Dam is among the driest of U.S. towns: 11 inches of precipitation a year
Midwinter brings lows of about 17°. Rain follows the seasons: August brings about 3.8 times as much as June. By July afternoons alone, it runs hotter than 83% of U.S. towns. Garden planting can start around April 27; autumn frost returns near October 19.
A year in Navajo Dam at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Navajo Dam’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Navajo Dam’s place in New Mexico beside it.
What a year in Navajo Dam feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 174 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 27 and the first by October 19. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Navajo Dam, NM, 5 miles from the town’s center, 410 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Navajo Dam’s center in zone 7a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 0°. 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 11 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 Navajo Dam
84% of the work is heating. 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 Navajo Dam, NM.
Living with Navajo Dam’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
174 frost-free days in zone 7a. The last frost comes by Apr 27 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 19.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May and September. 12 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Navajo Dam 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 →Navajo Dam and its neighbors
Blanco the hottest July afternoons (92°, 1° warmer). Differences under a degree are within what the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Navajo Dam’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Navajo Dam, NM | 17° | 91° | 11" | 7.7" |
| Price, UT | 14° | 92° | 9" | 8.7" |
| Pueblo West, CO | 19° | 92° | 12" | 15" |
| Snowflake, AZ | 20° | 90° | 10" | 13" |
| Johnson Lane, NV | 22° | 91° | 10" | 14" |
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value. Snow and frost-free days come from the nearest weather station, so neighbors often share them.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Navajo Dam averaged 1.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.0°).
A bigger shift than in 79% 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 Navajo Dam compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Navajo Dam’s place among New Mexico’s.
Navajo Dam weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Navajo Dam’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° | 17° | 0.9" | 2.8" | 5 | 2 | 23° – 36° |
| February | 48° | 22° | 0.8" | 1.6" | 5 | 1 | 29° – 41° |
| March | 58° | 28° | 0.7" | 0.3" | 5 | 0 | 38° – 48° |
| April | 66° | 33° | 0.8" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 45° – 54° |
| May | 75° | 41° | 0.8" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 53° – 63° |
| June | 87° | 50° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 64° – 73° |
| July | 91° | 57° | 1.4" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 70° – 77° |
| August | 88° | 56° | 1.5" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 68° – 77° |
| September | 80° | 48° | 1.4" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 58° – 68° |
| October | 68° | 36° | 1.0" | 0.5" | 5 | 0 | 47° – 57° |
| November | 54° | 26° | 0.9" | 0.4" | 4 | 0 | 32° – 47° |
| December | 42° | 18° | 0.9" | 2.1" | 5 | 1 | 24° – 37° |
| Year | 67° | 36° | 11.4" | 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 47°. July is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Navajo Dam’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 Navajo Dam’s center.
- Snow: Navajo Dam, NM.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Navajo Dam, NM, 5 miles from the town’s center, 410 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 Navajo Dam’s climate
What is the weather like in Navajo Dam?
A typical July afternoon reaches 91°, a January night drops to 17°, and about 8 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 77% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 83% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Navajo Dam in winter?
January nights average 17°. About 141 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 23°.
How much snow does Navajo Dam 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 Navajo Dam?
July, with a typical high of 91° and a low of 57°. About 57 days a year reach 90° and 2 reach 100° (Navajo Dam, NM).
When is the first and last frost in Navajo Dam?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 27 and the first fall frost by October 19, about 174 frost-free days, at Navajo Dam, NM.
What growing zone is Navajo Dam in?
Zone 7a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 0°.
What is the best time of year to visit Navajo Dam?
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 Navajo Dam getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.8° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 79% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Navajo Dam.
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.