Rio Puerco Bridge · Photo: Creator:Michael Quintieri · CC BY-SA 3.0Hardly any U.S. towns collect less precipitation than Pajarito Mesa: 10 inches a year
Peak summer warmth arrives in July, with afternoons near 92°. Rain follows the seasons: August brings about 4.0 times as much as February. Its July heat outdoes that of 87% of U.S. towns. The frost-free window for a garden runs roughly April 18 to October 24.
A year in Pajarito Mesa at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Pajarito Mesa’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Pajarito Mesa’s place in New Mexico beside it.
What a year in Pajarito Mesa feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 189 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 18 and the first by October 24. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Albuquerque Valley, NM, 6 miles from the town’s center, 460 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Pajarito Mesa’s center in zone 7b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 7°. 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 7 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Albuquerque Valley, NM, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 10 inches a year; August is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 56 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Pajarito Mesa
77% 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 Albuquerque Valley, NM.
Living with Pajarito Mesa’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
189 frost-free days in zone 7b. The last frost comes by Apr 18 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 24.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, September and October. 56 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Pajarito Mesa from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (74%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 6%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Pajarito Mesa and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Pajarito Mesa yet.
Climates most like Pajarito Mesa’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pajarito Mesa, NM | 24° | 92° | 10" | 6.8" |
| Spanish Springs, NV | 25° | 91° | 10" | 6.8" |
| Star, ID | 24° | 93° | 11" | 7.4" |
| Chino Valley, AZ | 27° | 92° | 11" | 10" |
| Ontario, OR | 23° | 93° | 10" | 15" |
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 Pajarito Mesa averaged 2.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+3.2°).
A bigger shift than in 88% 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 Pajarito Mesa compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Pajarito Mesa’s place among New Mexico’s.
Pajarito Mesa weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Pajarito Mesa’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Albuquerque Valley, NM. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 50° | 24° | 0.5" | 1.4" | 4 | 1 | 31° – 41° |
| February | 56° | 27° | 0.4" | 1.3" | 4 | 0 | 36° – 46° |
| March | 64° | 33° | 0.5" | 0.6" | 4 | 0 | 45° – 54° |
| April | 71° | 39° | 0.5" | 0.3" | 3 | 0 | 51° – 60° |
| May | 81° | 48° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 60° – 69° |
| June | 91° | 57° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 70° – 78° |
| July | 92° | 63° | 1.7" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 74° – 81° |
| August | 89° | 61° | 1.7" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 72° – 79° |
| September | 83° | 54° | 1.2" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 64° – 72° |
| October | 72° | 42° | 1.0" | 0.3" | 5 | 0 | 54° – 61° |
| November | 59° | 31° | 0.6" | 0.6" | 3 | 0 | 38° – 51° |
| December | 49° | 23° | 0.6" | 2.3" | 4 | 1 | 32° – 41° |
| Year | 71° | 42° | 9.8" | 6.8" | 56 | 3 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 38° to 51°. August is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Pajarito Mesa’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 Pajarito Mesa’s center.
- Snow: Albuquerque Valley, NM.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Albuquerque Valley, NM, 6 miles from the town’s center, 460 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 Pajarito Mesa’s climate
What is the weather like in Pajarito Mesa?
A typical July afternoon reaches 92°, a January night drops to 24°, and about 7 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 58% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 87% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Pajarito Mesa in winter?
December nights average 23°. About 126 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 32°.
How much snow does Pajarito Mesa get?
About 6.8 inches in a normal winter at Albuquerque Valley, NM, most of it in December, with snow on the ground about 3 days a year.
How hot does it get in Pajarito Mesa?
July, with a typical high of 92° and a low of 63°. About 69 days a year reach 90° and 4 reach 100° (Albuquerque Valley, NM).
When is the first and last frost in Pajarito Mesa?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 18 and the first fall frost by October 24, about 189 frost-free days, at Albuquerque Valley, NM.
What growing zone is Pajarito Mesa in?
Zone 7b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 7°.
What is the best time of year to visit Pajarito Mesa?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Pajarito Mesa getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 2.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 88% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Pajarito Mesa.
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.