Photo: John Phelan · CC BY 3.0Placitas’ winters are milder and less snowy than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 90°, a January night drops to 23°, and about 11 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Placitas at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Placitas’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Placitas’ place in New Mexico beside it.
What a year in Placitas feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 187 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 16 and the first by October 23. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Placitas 4w, NM, 2.0 miles from the town’s center, 270 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Placitas’ center in zone 7b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 9°. 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 Placitas 4w, NM, falls mostly in January and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 13 inches a year; July is the wettest month and May the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 46 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Placitas
80% 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 Placitas 4w, NM.
Living with Placitas’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
187 frost-free days in zone 7b. The last frost comes by Apr 16 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 23.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, September and October. 44 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Placitas from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (66%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 4%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Placitas and its neighbors
Bernalillo has the coldest January nights next door (21°, 2° colder) and Bernalillo the hottest July afternoons (93°, 3° warmer). Differences under a degree are within what the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Placitas’, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Placitas, NM | 23° | 90° | 13" | 11" |
| Carson City, NV | 23° | 90° | 11" | 14" |
| Williamson, AZ | 26° | 91° | 13" | 10" |
| Wenatchee, WA | 26° | 89° | 10" | 17" |
| Middleton, ID | 24° | 93° | 11" | 9.7" |
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 Placitas averaged 1.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+3.0°).
A bigger shift than in 68% 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 Placitas compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Placitas’ place among New Mexico’s.
Placitas weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Placitas’ center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Placitas 4w, NM. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 47° | 23° | 0.8" | 2.7" | 2 | 1 | 29° – 40° |
| February | 52° | 27° | 0.7" | 2.0" | 3 | 1 | 35° – 45° |
| March | 61° | 32° | 0.9" | 1.5" | 3 | 0 | 43° – 52° |
| April | 68° | 38° | 0.7" | 0.3" | 2 | 0 | 49° – 58° |
| May | 78° | 47° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 58° – 68° |
| June | 89° | 56° | 0.7" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 68° – 76° |
| July | 90° | 61° | 2.2" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 73° – 80° |
| August | 87° | 60° | 2.1" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 71° – 78° |
| September | 81° | 52° | 1.3" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 61° – 70° |
| October | 70° | 40° | 1.2" | 0.1" | 4 | 0 | 52° – 60° |
| November | 56° | 30° | 0.8" | 1.2" | 3 | 0 | 36° – 50° |
| December | 46° | 23° | 0.9" | 2.9" | 2 | 2 | 30° – 39° |
| Year | 69° | 41° | 12.9" | 10.7" | 46 | 5 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 36° to 50°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Placitas’ 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 Placitas’ center.
- Snow: Placitas 4w, NM.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Placitas 4w, NM, 2.0 miles from the town’s center, 270 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 Placitas’ climate
What is the weather like in Placitas?
A typical July afternoon reaches 90°, a January night drops to 23°, and about 11 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 55% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 77% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Placitas in winter?
December nights average 23°. About 118 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 30°.
How much snow does Placitas get?
About 11 inches in a normal winter at Placitas 4w, NM, most of it in January and December, with snow on the ground about 5 days a year.
How hot does it get in Placitas?
July, with a typical high of 90° and a low of 61°. About 62 days a year reach 90° and 3 reach 100° (Placitas 4w, NM).
When is the first and last frost in Placitas?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 16 and the first fall frost by October 23, about 187 frost-free days, at Placitas 4w, NM.
What growing zone is Placitas in?
Zone 7b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 9°.
What is the best time of year to visit Placitas?
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 Placitas getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.6° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 68% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Placitas.
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.