Precipitation in Pinos Altos trails that of 90% of U.S. towns: 19 inches a year
Sunny July days climb to about 83°. July is the wettest month, April the driest. Summers stay cool: July afternoons here are cooler than in 74% of U.S. towns. Long walks are most pleasant from May to October, when afternoons reach 68–84°.
A year in Pinos Altos at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Pinos Altos’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Pinos Altos’ place in New Mexico beside it.
What a year in Pinos Altos feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 216 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 4 and the first by November 8. Frost and day counts come from Ft Bayard, NM, 6 miles away.
The 2023 USDA map puts Pinos Altos’ center in zone 7b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 8°. 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 13 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at White Signal, NM, falls mostly in January and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 19 inches a year; July is the wettest month and April the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 59 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Pinos Altos
72% of the work is heating. Months averaging under 55° run from November 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 Ft Bayard, NM.
Living with Pinos Altos’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
216 frost-free days in zone 7b. The last frost comes by Apr 4 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Nov 8.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August, September and October.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Pinos Altos from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (57%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 1%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Pinos Altos and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Pinos Altos yet.
Climates most like Pinos Altos’, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pinos Altos, NM | 28° | 83° | 19" | 13" |
| La Grande, OR | 25° | 84° | 18" | 9.4" |
| Pullman, WA | 27° | 84° | 20" | 33" |
| Coeur d'Alene, ID | 26° | 83° | 26" | 27" |
| Indian Hills, NV | 25° | 86° | 14" | 14" |
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 Pinos Altos averaged 1.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.6°).
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 Pinos Altos compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Pinos Altos’ place among New Mexico’s.
Pinos Altos weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Pinos Altos’ center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from White Signal, NM. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 50° | 28° | 1.3" | 4.2" | 5 | 34° – 43° |
| February | 53° | 29° | 1.2" | 1.9" | 5 | 36° – 46° |
| March | 59° | 32° | 1.0" | 1.0" | 3 | 40° – 51° |
| April | 66° | 37° | 0.4" | 0.2" | 2 | 46° – 56° |
| May | 74° | 45° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 2 | 55° – 64° |
| June | 84° | 54° | 0.9" | 0.0" | 3 | 65° – 73° |
| July | 83° | 58° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 10 | 67° – 73° |
| August | 80° | 57° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 10 | 66° – 74° |
| September | 76° | 52° | 2.3" | 0.0" | 6 | 60° – 67° |
| October | 68° | 43° | 1.1" | 0.1" | 4 | 53° – 60° |
| November | 58° | 34° | 1.2" | 1.1" | 3 | 39° – 54° |
| December | 50° | 28° | 1.7" | 4.6" | 5 | 35° – 43° |
| Year | 67° | 41° | 18.8" | 13.1" | 59 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 39° to 54°. July is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Pinos Altos’ 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 Pinos Altos’ center.
- Snow: White Signal, NM.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Ft Bayard, NM, 6 miles from the town’s center, 840 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 Pinos Altos’ climate
What is the weather like in Pinos Altos?
A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 28°, and about 13 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 69% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 74% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Pinos Altos in winter?
January nights average 28°. About 92 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 34°.
How much snow does Pinos Altos get?
About 13 inches in a normal winter at White Signal, NM, most of it in January and December.
How hot does it get in Pinos Altos?
July, with a typical high of 83° and a low of 58°. About 33 days a year reach 90° and 1 reach 100° (Ft Bayard, NM).
When is the first and last frost in Pinos Altos?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 4 and the first fall frost by November 8, about 216 frost-free days, at Ft Bayard, NM.
What growing zone is Pinos Altos in?
Zone 7b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 8°.
What is the best time of year to visit Pinos Altos?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June, July, August, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Pinos Altos 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 Pinos Altos.
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.