Few U.S. towns get less rain and snow than Old Town: 12 inches a year
Expect July afternoons of about 93°. In July, afternoons here are warmer than in 91% of U.S. towns. Decade by decade the climate has edged up, 1.6° above 1901–2000. Tender plants can go out after about April 21; in half of years the first frost comes by October 31.
A year in Old Town at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Old Town’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Old Town’s place in New Mexico beside it.
What a year in Old Town feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 191 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 21 and the first by October 31. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Faywood, NM, 9 miles from the town’s center, 360 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Old Town’s center in zone 8a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 13°. 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 1 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Whitewater, NM, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 12 inches a year; July is the wettest month and April the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 38 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Old Town
75% of the work is heating. Months averaging under 55° run from November through March.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Faywood, NM.
Living with Old Town’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
191 frost-free days in zone 8a. The last frost comes by Apr 21 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 31.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: October. 4.0 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Old Town from natural hazards, drought is the largest share (42%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 9%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Old Town and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Old Town yet.
Climates most like Old Town’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Old Town, NM | 26° | 93° | 12" | 1.1" |
| Andrews, TX | 30° | 95° | 15" | 1.7" |
| Nogales, AZ | 30° | 93° | 16" | 0.3" |
| Hermiston, OR | 29° | 91° | 9" | 3.7" |
| Fernley, NV | 25° | 93° | 6" | 4.5" |
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 Old Town averaged 1.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.5°).
A bigger shift than in 63% 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 Old Town compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Old Town’s place among New Mexico’s.
Old Town weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Old Town’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Whitewater, NM. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 57° | 26° | 0.7" | 0.2" | 2 | 0 | 37° – 46° |
| February | 61° | 29° | 0.7" | 0.1" | 3 | 0 | 40° – 49° |
| March | 69° | 33° | 0.3" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 46° – 57° |
| April | 76° | 39° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 53° – 62° |
| May | 85° | 47° | 0.3" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 62° – 71° |
| June | 94° | 57° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 71° – 79° |
| July | 93° | 63° | 2.5" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 75° – 82° |
| August | 91° | 62° | 2.5" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 73° – 81° |
| September | 86° | 55° | 1.5" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 65° – 73° |
| October | 77° | 43° | 0.8" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 57° – 64° |
| November | 66° | 32° | 0.7" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 42° – 56° |
| December | 56° | 26° | 0.9" | 0.8" | 3 | 0 | 37° – 44° |
| Year | 76° | 43° | 11.6" | 1.1" | 38 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 42° to 56°. October is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Old Town’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 Old Town’s center.
- Snow: Whitewater, NM.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Faywood, NM, 9 miles from the town’s center, 360 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 Old Town’s climate
What is the weather like in Old Town?
A typical July afternoon reaches 93°, a January night drops to 26°, and about 1 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 66% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 91% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Old Town in winter?
December nights average 26°. About 98 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 37°.
How much snow does Old Town get?
About 1.1 inches in a normal winter at Whitewater, NM, most of it in December, with snow on the ground about 0 days a year.
How hot does it get in Old Town?
July, with a typical high of 93° and a low of 63°. About 61 days a year reach 90° and 4 reach 100° (Faywood, NM).
When is the first and last frost in Old Town?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 21 and the first fall frost by October 31, about 191 frost-free days, at Faywood, NM.
What growing zone is Old Town in?
Zone 8a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 13°.
What is the best time of year to visit Old Town?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Old Town getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.6° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 63% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Old Town.
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.