Photo: EFreiboth · CC BY-SA 4.0Questa has some of the coldest winter nights among U.S. towns
The warmest part of a July day comes in at 82° on average. It is a dry place: less rain and snow fall here than on 94% of U.S. towns. Compared with 1901–2000, the average now sits 1.6° higher. Tender plants can go out after about May 31; in half of years the first frost comes by September 26.
A year in Questa at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Questa’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Questa’s place in New Mexico beside it.
What a year in Questa feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 116 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 31 and the first by September 26. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Cerro, NM, 2.0 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Questa’s center in zone 5b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −14°. 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 62 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Cerro, NM, falls mostly in January and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 14 inches a year; August is the wettest month and January 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 Questa
98% 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 Cerro, NM.
Living with Questa’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
116 frost-free days in zone 5b. The last frost comes by May 31 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 26.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July, August and September. 7.7 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Questa from natural hazards, avalanches are the largest share (59%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 2%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Questa and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Questa yet.
Climates most like Questa’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Questa, NM | 8° | 82° | 14" | 62" |
| Laramie, WY | 12° | 81° | 12" | 64" |
| Rexburg, ID | 12° | 84° | 13" | 70" |
| Watford City, ND | 4° | 84° | 16" | 50" |
| Great Falls, MT | 13° | 84° | 13" | 66" |
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 Questa averaged 1.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.8°).
A bigger shift than in 63% 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 Questa compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Questa’s place among New Mexico’s.
Questa weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Questa’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Cerro, NM. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 38° | 8° | 0.7" | 12.7" | 4 | 14 | 16° – 31° |
| February | 42° | 14° | 0.7" | 11.7" | 4 | 9 | 21° – 35° |
| March | 51° | 21° | 1.0" | 8.0" | 4 | 4 | 32° – 41° |
| April | 60° | 27° | 1.0" | 4.3" | 5 | 1 | 39° – 48° |
| May | 69° | 35° | 1.2" | 0.7" | 5 | 0 | 48° – 57° |
| June | 79° | 43° | 0.7" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 57° – 66° |
| July | 82° | 49° | 1.9" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 63° – 69° |
| August | 79° | 47° | 2.2" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 61° – 67° |
| September | 74° | 40° | 1.6" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 52° – 60° |
| October | 63° | 29° | 1.2" | 3.4" | 4 | 0 | 43° – 51° |
| November | 50° | 18° | 0.9" | 6.8" | 4 | 3 | 25° – 40° |
| December | 39° | 9° | 0.9" | 13.9" | 5 | 11 | 17° – 30° |
| Year | 60° | 28° | 13.9" | 61.5" | 64 | 42 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. January swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 16° to 31°. July is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Questa’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 Questa’s center.
- Snow: Cerro, NM (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Cerro, NM, 2.0 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 Questa’s climate
What is the weather like in Questa?
A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to 8°, and about 62 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 95% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 79% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Questa in winter?
January nights average 8°. About 206 nights a year reach 32° or below and 21 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 16°.
How much snow does Questa get?
About 62 inches in a normal winter at Cerro, NM, most of it in January and December, with snow on the ground about 42 days a year.
How hot does it get in Questa?
July, with a typical high of 82° and a low of 49°. About 6 days a year reach 90° (Cerro, NM).
When is the first and last frost in Questa?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 31 and the first fall frost by September 26, about 116 frost-free days, at Cerro, NM.
What growing zone is Questa in?
Zone 5b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −14°.
What is the best time of year to visit Questa?
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 Questa getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.6° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 63% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Questa.
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.