Photo: Navajo Region Fire and Aviation Management Bureau of Indian Affairs · Public domainNavajo’s winters are colder than most of the U.S.; July afternoons average 84°
A typical July afternoon reaches 84°, a January night drops to 16°.
A year in Navajo at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Navajo’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Navajo’s place in New Mexico beside it.
What a year in Navajo feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 121 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 29 and the first by September 28. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Window Rock Airport, 17 miles from the town’s center, 390 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Navajo’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 13 inches of rain a year
August is the wettest month and June the driest.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Navajo
94% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from October through May.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Window Rock Airport.
Living with Navajo’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
121 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by May 29 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 28.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, August and September. 3.1 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Navajo from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (55%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 33%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Navajo and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Navajo yet.
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 Navajo averaged 1.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.8°).
A bigger shift than in 58% 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 compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Navajo’s place among New Mexico’s.
Navajo weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Navajo’s center. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 42° | 16° | 1.4" | 23° – 35° |
| February | 45° | 20° | 1.0" | 27° – 39° |
| March | 53° | 25° | 0.9" | 34° – 43° |
| April | 60° | 30° | 0.6" | 40° – 50° |
| May | 70° | 38° | 0.6" | 49° – 58° |
| June | 81° | 47° | 0.3" | 60° – 69° |
| July | 84° | 54° | 1.7" | 66° – 72° |
| August | 81° | 53° | 1.8" | 65° – 72° |
| September | 75° | 45° | 1.4" | 55° – 63° |
| October | 64° | 33° | 1.0" | 45° – 53° |
| November | 51° | 23° | 1.0" | 31° – 44° |
| December | 41° | 16° | 1.1" | 22° – 35° |
| Year | 62° | 33° | 12.8" |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 31° to 44°. July is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Navajo’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’s center.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Window Rock Airport, 17 miles from the town’s center, 390 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’s climate
What is the weather like in Navajo?
A typical July afternoon reaches 84°, a January night drops to 16°. Colder January nights than 79% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 56% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Navajo in winter?
December nights average 16°. About 196 nights a year reach 32° or below and 8 reach 0° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 22°.
How hot does it get in Navajo?
July, with a typical high of 84° and a low of 54°. About 24 days a year reach 90° (Window Rock Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Navajo?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 29 and the first fall frost by September 28, about 121 frost-free days, at Window Rock Airport.
What growing zone is Navajo 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 Navajo?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), June, August and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Navajo getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.5° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 58% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Navajo.
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.