Photo: Russell Lee · Public domainLess rain and snow falls on Pie Town than on 94% of U.S. towns: 14 inches a year
In July the day’s top temperature is typically 83°. In January, nights here are colder than in 88% of U.S. towns. Since 1901–2000, the year has warmed by 1.3°, most of all in March. Plan time outside from June to September, when highs sit at 75–83°.
A year in Pie Town at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Pie Town’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Pie Town’s place in New Mexico beside it.
What a year in Pie Town feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 117 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by June 1 and the first by September 29. Day counts come from NOAA’s station at Pietown 19ne, NM, 19 miles from the town’s center, 420 ft higher; frost dates and degree days from Quemado, NM, 19 miles away.
The 2023 USDA map puts Pie Town’s center in zone 5b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −10°. 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 18 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Quemado, NM, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 14 inches a year; August is the wettest month and June the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 42 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Pie Town
96% 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 Quemado, NM.
Living with Pie Town’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
117 frost-free days in zone 5b. The last frost comes by Jun 1 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Sep 29.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July, August and September. 42 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Pie Town from natural hazards, wildfire 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 →Pie Town and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Pie Town yet.
Climates most like Pie 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pie Town, NM | 14° | 83° | 14" | 18" |
| Shelley, ID | 14° | 87° | 11" | 15" |
| Hamilton, MT | 20° | 86° | 13" | 17" |
| Cimarron Hills, CO | 18° | 85° | 17" | 33" |
| Deschutes River Woods, OR | 24° | 84° | 13" | 22" |
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 Pie Town averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.2°).
A smaller shift than in 56% 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 Pie Town compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Pie Town’s place among New Mexico’s.
Pie Town weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Pie Town’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Quemado, NM. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 45° | 14° | 0.7" | 3.8" | 3 | 23° – 35° |
| February | 48° | 17° | 0.8" | 3.9" | 3 | 28° – 38° |
| March | 56° | 21° | 0.7" | 1.8" | 2 | 33° – 43° |
| April | 63° | 26° | 0.5" | 0.3" | 2 | 39° – 50° |
| May | 73° | 34° | 0.5" | 0.2" | 1 | 48° – 58° |
| June | 82° | 43° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 2 | 58° – 66° |
| July | 83° | 50° | 2.6" | 0.0" | 7 | 63° – 71° |
| August | 80° | 48° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 9 | 61° – 67° |
| September | 75° | 41° | 1.7" | 0.0" | 4 | 53° – 61° |
| October | 66° | 30° | 1.0" | 0.6" | 3 | 44° – 52° |
| November | 54° | 20° | 0.8" | 1.4" | 3 | 30° – 44° |
| December | 45° | 13° | 0.9" | 5.6" | 3 | 24° – 35° |
| Year | 64° | 30° | 13.5" | 17.6" | 42 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 30° to 44°. August is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Pie 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 Pie Town’s center.
- Snow: Quemado, NM.
- Frost dates, heating and cooling: Quemado, NM, 19 miles away.
- Freezing nights, 90° and 100° days: Pietown 19ne, NM, 19 miles from the town’s center, 420 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 Pie Town’s climate
What is the weather like in Pie Town?
A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 14°, and about 18 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 88% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 66% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Pie Town in winter?
December nights average 13°. About 162 nights a year reach 32° or below and 1 reach 0° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 24°.
How much snow does Pie Town get?
About 18 inches in a normal winter at Quemado, NM, most of it in December.
How hot does it get in Pie Town?
July, with a typical high of 83° and a low of 50°. About 6 days a year reach 90° (Quemado, NM).
When is the first and last frost in Pie Town?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by June 1 and the first fall frost by September 29, about 117 frost-free days, at Quemado, NM.
What growing zone is Pie Town in?
Zone 5b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −10°.
What is the best time of year to visit Pie Town?
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 Pie Town getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.3° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 56% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Pie 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.