Peak Place’s winters are colder but less snowy than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 86°, a January night drops to 17°, and about 20 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Peak Place at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Peak Place’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Peak Place’s place in New Mexico beside it.
What a year in Peak Place feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 144 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 14 and the first by October 6. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Santa Fe 2, NM, 12 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Peak Place’s center in zone 7a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 0°. 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 20 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Santa Fe 2, NM, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 13 inches a year; July is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 64 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Peak Place
93% 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 Santa Fe 2, NM.
Living with Peak Place’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
144 frost-free days in zone 7a. The last frost comes by May 14 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 6.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, August and September. 5.7 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Peak Place from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (58%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 1%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Peak Place and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Peak Place in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Peak Place’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Peak Place, NM | 17° | 86° | 13" | 20" |
| Show Low, AZ | 19° | 86° | 15" | 19" |
| Hamilton, MT | 20° | 86° | 13" | 17" |
| Shelley, ID | 14° | 87° | 11" | 15" |
| Cimarron Hills, CO | 18° | 85° | 17" | 33" |
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 Peak Place averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.7°).
A smaller shift than in 54% 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 Peak Place compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Peak Place’s place among New Mexico’s.
Peak Place weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Peak Place’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Santa Fe 2, NM. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 44° | 17° | 0.7" | 3.7" | 3 | 3 | 25° – 37° |
| February | 48° | 21° | 0.5" | 2.4" | 4 | 2 | 29° – 40° |
| March | 57° | 26° | 0.8" | 3.9" | 4 | 1 | 38° – 47° |
| April | 64° | 32° | 0.7" | 0.4" | 4 | 0 | 44° – 53° |
| May | 74° | 41° | 0.9" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 52° – 63° |
| June | 84° | 49° | 0.8" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 63° – 71° |
| July | 86° | 55° | 2.5" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 68° – 75° |
| August | 83° | 54° | 2.2" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 66° – 72° |
| September | 77° | 46° | 1.4" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 56° – 65° |
| October | 66° | 35° | 1.3" | 1.3" | 5 | 0 | 47° – 55° |
| November | 53° | 24° | 0.8" | 1.7" | 4 | 1 | 31° – 45° |
| December | 43° | 17° | 0.8" | 6.8" | 4 | 3 | 26° – 34° |
| Year | 65° | 35° | 13.2" | 20.2" | 64 | 9 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 31° to 45°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Peak Place’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 Peak Place’s center.
- Snow: Santa Fe 2, NM.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Santa Fe 2, NM, 12 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height; 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 Peak Place’s climate
What is the weather like in Peak Place?
A typical July afternoon reaches 86°, a January night drops to 17°, and about 20 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 74% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 55% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Peak Place in winter?
January nights average 17°. About 168 nights a year reach 32° or below and 2 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 25°.
How much snow does Peak Place get?
About 20 inches in a normal winter at Santa Fe 2, NM, most of it in December, with snow on the ground about 9 days a year.
How hot does it get in Peak Place?
July, with a typical high of 86° and a low of 55°. About 24 days a year reach 90° (Santa Fe 2, NM).
When is the first and last frost in Peak Place?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 14 and the first fall frost by October 6, about 144 frost-free days, at Santa Fe 2, NM.
What growing zone is Peak Place in?
Zone 7a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 0°.
What is the best time of year to visit Peak Place?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, August and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Peak Place getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.3° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 54% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Peak Place.
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.