Precipitation in Ponderosa Pine trails that of 91% of U.S. towns: 17 inches a year
In January the night’s low is typically 19°. A year here swings 63° from midwinter lows to midsummer highs. In July, afternoons here are cooler than in 83% of U.S. towns. Tender plants can go out after about May 9; in half of years the first frost comes by October 9.
A year in Ponderosa Pine at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Ponderosa Pine’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Ponderosa Pine’s place in New Mexico beside it.
What a year in Ponderosa Pine feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 152 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 9 and the first by October 9. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Sandia Park, NM, 17 miles from the town’s center, 470 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Ponderosa Pine’s center in zone 7a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 2°. 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 37 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Mountainair 8nw, NM, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 17 inches a year; July is the wettest month and May the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 73 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Ponderosa Pine
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 Sandia Park, NM.
Living with Ponderosa Pine’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
152 frost-free days in zone 7a. The last frost comes by May 9 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 9.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July, August and September. 12 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Ponderosa Pine from natural hazards, wildfire is the largest share (49%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 2%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Ponderosa Pine and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Ponderosa Pine yet.
Climates most like Ponderosa Pine’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ponderosa Pine, NM | 19° | 82° | 17" | 37" |
| Polson, MT | 20° | 83° | 19" | 34" |
| Airway Heights, WA | 24° | 84° | 17" | 45" |
| 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 Ponderosa Pine averaged 1.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+3.2°).
A bigger shift than in 87% 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 Ponderosa Pine compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Ponderosa Pine’s place among New Mexico’s.
Ponderosa Pine weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Ponderosa Pine’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Mountainair 8nw, NM. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 41° | 19° | 0.9" | 7.1" | 5 | 7 | 24° – 35° |
| February | 45° | 22° | 1.0" | 6.1" | 4 | 5 | 28° – 38° |
| March | 53° | 26° | 1.1" | 2.6" | 4 | 1 | 36° – 45° |
| April | 60° | 31° | 0.9" | 2.8" | 5 | 1 | 42° – 51° |
| May | 70° | 39° | 0.8" | 1.1" | 5 | 0 | 51° – 60° |
| June | 80° | 48° | 1.0" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 60° – 68° |
| July | 82° | 53° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 64° – 71° |
| August | 79° | 52° | 2.9" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 62° – 69° |
| September | 73° | 46° | 1.7" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 54° – 63° |
| October | 63° | 36° | 1.4" | 1.8" | 5 | 1 | 46° – 54° |
| November | 50° | 26° | 1.1" | 2.9" | 4 | 2 | 31° – 45° |
| December | 41° | 19° | 1.3" | 13.0" | 6 | 7 | 25° – 35° |
| Year | 61° | 35° | 17.2" | 37.4" | 73 | 23 |
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 6°.
Where Ponderosa Pine’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 Ponderosa Pine’s center.
- Snow: Mountainair 8nw, NM.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Sandia Park, NM, 17 miles from the town’s center, 470 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 Ponderosa Pine’s climate
What is the weather like in Ponderosa Pine?
A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to 19°, and about 37 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 63% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 83% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Ponderosa Pine in winter?
December nights average 19°. About 171 nights a year reach 32° or below and 3 reach 0° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 25°.
How much snow does Ponderosa Pine get?
About 37 inches in a normal winter at Mountainair 8nw, NM, most of it in December, with snow on the ground about 23 days a year.
How hot does it get in Ponderosa Pine?
July, with a typical high of 82° and a low of 53°. About 8 days a year reach 90° (Sandia Park, NM).
When is the first and last frost in Ponderosa Pine?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 9 and the first fall frost by October 9, about 152 frost-free days, at Sandia Park, NM.
What growing zone is Ponderosa Pine in?
Zone 7a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 2°.
What is the best time of year to visit Ponderosa Pine?
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 Ponderosa Pine getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 87% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Ponderosa Pine.
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.