Less rain and snow falls on Peñasco than on 92% of U.S. towns: 16 inches a year
Sunny July days climb to about 81°. Summers stay cool: July afternoons here are cooler than in 88% of U.S. towns. Warming shows here too: 1.5° more than in 1901–2000, led by January. Seedlings are safe outdoors from about May 19, with the first autumn frost due around October 3.
A year in Peñasco at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Peñasco’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Peñasco’s place in New Mexico beside it.
What a year in Peñasco feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 136 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 19 and the first by October 3. Frost and day counts come from Taos, NM, 16 miles away.
The 2023 USDA map puts Peñasco’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 11 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Alcalde, NM, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 16 inches a year; August is the wettest month and April the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 55 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Peñasco
95% 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 Taos, NM.
Living with Peñasco’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
136 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by May 19 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 3.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July, August and September.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Peñasco from natural hazards, avalanches are the largest share (59%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 1%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Peñasco and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Peñasco yet.
Climates most like Peñasco’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Peñasco, NM | 15° | 81° | 16" | 11" |
| Butte-Silver Bow, MT | 14° | 79° | 14" | 15" |
| La Grande, OR | 25° | 84° | 18" | 9.4" |
| Show Low, AZ | 19° | 86° | 15" | 19" |
| Shelley, ID | 14° | 87° | 11" | 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 Peñasco averaged 1.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.7°).
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 Peñasco compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Peñasco’s place among New Mexico’s.
Peñasco weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Peñasco’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Alcalde, NM. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 41° | 15° | 1.1" | 2.2" | 3 | 2 | 22° – 34° |
| February | 44° | 19° | 1.0" | 1.5" | 3 | 1 | 26° – 37° |
| March | 52° | 24° | 1.0" | 1.4" | 4 | 1 | 34° – 43° |
| April | 59° | 30° | 0.9" | 0.3" | 4 | 0 | 40° – 49° |
| May | 69° | 38° | 1.1" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 49° – 59° |
| June | 79° | 47° | 0.9" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 59° – 67° |
| July | 81° | 52° | 2.3" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 63° – 71° |
| August | 79° | 50° | 2.6" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 61° – 68° |
| September | 73° | 43° | 1.8" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 52° – 61° |
| October | 63° | 33° | 1.3" | 0.6" | 5 | 0 | 44° – 52° |
| November | 50° | 23° | 1.0" | 1.4" | 3 | 1 | 29° – 43° |
| December | 41° | 15° | 1.0" | 3.3" | 3 | 3 | 23° – 33° |
| Year | 61° | 32° | 16.0" | 10.7" | 55 | 7 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 29° to 43°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Peñasco’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 Peñasco’s center.
- Snow: Alcalde, NM.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Taos, NM, 16 miles from the town’s center, 680 ft lower; no station nearby passes every check; this is the nearest one in the same valley, flagged above.
- 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 Peñasco’s climate
What is the weather like in Peñasco?
A typical July afternoon reaches 81°, a January night drops to 15°, and about 11 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 85% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 88% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Peñasco in winter?
January nights average 15°. About 183 nights a year reach 32° or below and 8 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 22°.
How much snow does Peñasco get?
About 11 inches in a normal winter at Alcalde, NM, most of it in December, with snow on the ground about 7 days a year.
How hot does it get in Peñasco?
July, with a typical high of 81° and a low of 52°. About 23 days a year reach 90° (Taos, NM).
When is the first and last frost in Peñasco?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 19 and the first fall frost by October 3, about 136 frost-free days, at Taos, NM.
What growing zone is Peñasco 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 Peñasco?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), June, July, August and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Peñasco 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 Peñasco.
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.