Photo: David · CC BY 2.0Ranchos de Taos’ winters are colder and snowier than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 85°, a January night drops to 12°, and about 28 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Ranchos de Taos at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Ranchos de Taos’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Ranchos de Taos’ place in New Mexico beside it.
What a year in Ranchos de Taos feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 136 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 19 and the first by October 3. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Taos, NM, 2.2 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Ranchos de Taos’ 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 28 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Taos, NM, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 12 inches a year; August is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 61 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Ranchos de Taos
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 Taos, NM.
Living with Ranchos de Taos’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
136 frost-free days in zone 5b. The last frost comes by May 19 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 3.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, August and September. 0.7 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Ranchos de Taos from natural hazards, avalanches are the largest share (50%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 2%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Ranchos de Taos and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Ranchos de Taos in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Ranchos de Taos’, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ranchos de Taos, NM | 12° | 85° | 12" | 28" |
| Helena, MT | 15° | 85° | 12" | 37" |
| Salida, CO | 10° | 85° | 8" | 37" |
| Cody, WY | 14° | 85° | 11" | 45" |
| Shelley, ID | 14° | 87° | 11" | 15" |
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 Ranchos de Taos averaged 1.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.8°).
A bigger shift than in 61% 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 Ranchos de Taos compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Ranchos de Taos’ place among New Mexico’s.
Ranchos de Taos weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Ranchos de Taos’ center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Taos, NM. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 43° | 12° | 0.5" | 6.0" | 4 | 20° – 34° |
| February | 47° | 17° | 0.5" | 3.3" | 4 | 26° – 38° |
| March | 55° | 24° | 0.7" | 4.0" | 4 | 35° – 44° |
| April | 63° | 29° | 0.7" | 1.9" | 4 | 41° – 51° |
| May | 72° | 37° | 1.1" | 0.0" | 5 | 50° – 60° |
| June | 82° | 45° | 0.8" | 0.0" | 5 | 60° – 68° |
| July | 85° | 51° | 1.9" | 0.0" | 7 | 64° – 72° |
| August | 82° | 50° | 2.0" | 0.0" | 10 | 62° – 70° |
| September | 76° | 42° | 1.5" | 0.0" | 6 | 54° – 63° |
| October | 66° | 31° | 1.1" | 1.4" | 5 | 45° – 54° |
| November | 53° | 21° | 0.7" | 2.8" | 4 | 30° – 43° |
| December | 43° | 12° | 0.8" | 9.0" | 4 | 22° – 33° |
| Year | 64° | 31° | 12.4" | 28.4" | 61 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. January swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 20° to 34°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Ranchos de Taos’ 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 Ranchos de Taos’ center.
- Snow: Taos, NM.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Taos, NM, 2.2 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 Ranchos de Taos’ climate
What is the weather like in Ranchos de Taos?
A typical July afternoon reaches 85°, a January night drops to 12°, and about 28 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 91% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 55% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Ranchos de Taos in winter?
January nights average 12°. About 183 nights a year reach 32° or below and 8 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 20°.
How much snow does Ranchos de Taos get?
About 28 inches in a normal winter at Taos, NM, most of it in December.
How hot does it get in Ranchos de Taos?
July, with a typical high of 85° and a low of 51°. About 23 days a year reach 90° (Taos, NM).
When is the first and last frost in Ranchos de Taos?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 19 and the first fall frost by October 3, about 136 frost-free days, at Taos, NM.
What growing zone is Ranchos de Taos 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 Ranchos de Taos?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), June, August and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Ranchos de Taos getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.5° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 61% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Ranchos de Taos.
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.