Less rain and snow falls on Paa-Ko than on 91% of U.S. towns: 17 inches a year
Sunny July days climb to about 85°. By January nights alone, it runs colder than 60% of U.S. towns. March has warmed most since 1901–2000, part of a 1.7° rise. Keep the boiler serviced for the months from November to April, which average under 50°.
A year in Paa-Ko at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Paa-Ko’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Paa-Ko’s place in New Mexico beside it.
What a year in Paa-Ko feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 152 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 9 and the first by October 9. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Sandia Park, NM, 1.9 miles from the town’s center, 340 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Paa-Ko’s center in zone 7a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 4°. 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 29 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Golden, NM, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 17 inches a year; July is the wettest month and May 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 Paa-Ko
95% 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 Sandia Park, NM.
Living with Paa-Ko’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
152 frost-free days in zone 7a. The last frost comes by May 9 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 9.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, August and September. 18 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Paa-Ko from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (46%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 3%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Paa-Ko and its neighbors
Edgewood has the coldest January nights next door (19°, 1° colder). Differences under a degree are within what the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Paa-Ko’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paa-Ko, NM | 20° | 85° | 17" | 29" |
| Cimarron Hills, CO | 18° | 85° | 17" | 33" |
| Show Low, AZ | 19° | 86° | 15" | 19" |
| Polson, MT | 20° | 83° | 19" | 34" |
| Deschutes River Woods, OR | 24° | 84° | 13" | 22" |
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 Paa-Ko averaged 1.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+3.0°).
A bigger shift than in 71% 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 Paa-Ko compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Paa-Ko’s place among New Mexico’s.
Paa-Ko weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Paa-Ko’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Golden, NM. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 43° | 20° | 1.3" | 5.6" | 5 | 26° – 37° |
| February | 48° | 23° | 1.1" | 2.5" | 4 | 30° – 40° |
| March | 56° | 28° | 1.2" | 6.2" | 5 | 38° – 47° |
| April | 63° | 33° | 0.8" | 1.2" | 4 | 44° – 53° |
| May | 73° | 41° | 0.8" | 0.0" | 4 | 53° – 62° |
| June | 84° | 50° | 0.9" | 0.0" | 4 | 62° – 70° |
| July | 85° | 55° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 10 | 67° – 74° |
| August | 82° | 54° | 2.6" | 0.0" | 9 | 65° – 72° |
| September | 76° | 48° | 1.6" | 0.0" | 6 | 56° – 66° |
| October | 65° | 37° | 1.5" | 1.1" | 5 | 48° – 56° |
| November | 52° | 27° | 1.0" | 3.9" | 4 | 32° – 47° |
| December | 43° | 20° | 1.4" | 8.1" | 5 | 26° – 37° |
| Year | 64° | 36° | 17.0" | 28.6" | 62 |
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 Paa-Ko’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 Paa-Ko’s center.
- Snow: Golden, NM.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Sandia Park, NM, 1.9 miles from the town’s center, 340 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 Paa-Ko’s climate
What is the weather like in Paa-Ko?
A typical July afternoon reaches 85°, a January night drops to 20°, and about 29 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 60% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 52% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Paa-Ko in winter?
January nights average 20°. About 171 nights a year reach 32° or below and 3 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 26°.
How much snow does Paa-Ko get?
About 29 inches in a normal winter at Golden, NM, most of it in December.
How hot does it get in Paa-Ko?
July, with a typical high of 85° and a low of 55°. About 8 days a year reach 90° (Sandia Park, NM).
When is the first and last frost in Paa-Ko?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 9 and the first fall frost by October 9, about 152 frost-free days, at Sandia Park, NM.
What growing zone is Paa-Ko in?
Zone 7a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 4°.
What is the best time of year to visit Paa-Ko?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June, August and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Paa-Ko getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.7° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 71% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Paa-Ko.
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.