Hardly any U.S. towns collect less precipitation than Ojo Amarillo: 8 inches a year
Midwinter brings lows of about 19°. The wettest month is September; the driest is June. In July, afternoons here are warmer than in 91% of U.S. towns. Homes need heating from November to March, the months averaging under 50°.
A year in Ojo Amarillo at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Ojo Amarillo’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Ojo Amarillo’s place in New Mexico beside it.
What a year in Ojo Amarillo feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 167 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 29 and the first by October 15. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Farmington Ag Sci Cnt, NM, 3 miles from the town’s center, 200 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Ojo Amarillo’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 9 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Farmington Ag Sci Cnt, NM, falls mostly in January, February and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 8 inches a year; September is the wettest month and June the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 62 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Ojo Amarillo
85% 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 Farmington Ag Sci Cnt, NM.
Living with Ojo Amarillo’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
167 frost-free days in zone 7a. The last frost comes by Apr 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 Oct 15.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May and September.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Ojo Amarillo from natural hazards, drought is the largest share (75%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 6%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Ojo Amarillo and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Ojo Amarillo yet.
Climates most like Ojo Amarillo’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ojo Amarillo, NM | 19° | 93° | 8" | 8.6" |
| Fruitvale, CO | 19° | 94° | 10" | 13" |
| Caldwell, ID | 24° | 93° | 11" | 9.7" |
| Ontario, OR | 23° | 93° | 10" | 15" |
| Price, UT | 14° | 92° | 9" | 8.7" |
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 Ojo Amarillo averaged 1.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.7°).
A bigger shift than in 66% 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 Ojo Amarillo compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Ojo Amarillo’s place among New Mexico’s.
Ojo Amarillo weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Ojo Amarillo’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Farmington Ag Sci Cnt, NM. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 43° | 19° | 0.6" | 2.2" | 5 | 3 | 24° – 38° |
| February | 50° | 24° | 0.5" | 2.0" | 5 | 2 | 32° – 43° |
| March | 60° | 29° | 0.6" | 0.9" | 5 | 0 | 41° – 50° |
| April | 68° | 35° | 0.6" | 0.3" | 4 | 0 | 47° – 56° |
| May | 78° | 44° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 55° – 65° |
| June | 89° | 53° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 66° – 77° |
| July | 93° | 61° | 0.8" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 72° – 80° |
| August | 90° | 59° | 1.0" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 72° – 79° |
| September | 82° | 51° | 1.0" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 61° – 70° |
| October | 70° | 38° | 0.8" | 0.5" | 6 | 0 | 49° – 59° |
| November | 55° | 27° | 0.6" | 0.7" | 5 | 0 | 34° – 48° |
| December | 43° | 20° | 0.6" | 2.0" | 5 | 2 | 25° – 38° |
| Year | 68° | 38° | 7.7" | 8.6" | 62 | 7 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. January swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 24° to 38°. August is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Ojo Amarillo’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 Ojo Amarillo’s center.
- Snow: Farmington Ag Sci Cnt, NM.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Farmington Ag Sci Cnt, NM, 3 miles from the town’s center, 200 ft higher; 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 Ojo Amarillo’s climate
What is the weather like in Ojo Amarillo?
A typical July afternoon reaches 93°, a January night drops to 19°, and about 9 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 65% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 91% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Ojo Amarillo in winter?
January nights average 19°. About 140 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 24°.
How much snow does Ojo Amarillo get?
About 8.6 inches in a normal winter at Farmington Ag Sci Cnt, NM, most of it in January, February and December, with snow on the ground about 7 days a year.
How hot does it get in Ojo Amarillo?
July, with a typical high of 93° and a low of 61°. About 50 days a year reach 90° (Farmington Ag Sci Cnt, NM).
When is the first and last frost in Ojo Amarillo?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 29 and the first fall frost by October 15, about 167 frost-free days, at Farmington Ag Sci Cnt, NM.
What growing zone is Ojo Amarillo 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 Ojo Amarillo?
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 Ojo Amarillo getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.6° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 66% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Ojo Amarillo.
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.