Photo: Quintin Soloviev · CC BY 4.0Raton’s winters are colder and snowier than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 85°, a January night drops to 15°, and about 25 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Raton at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Raton’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Raton’s place in New Mexico beside it.
What a year in Raton feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 132 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 19 and the first by September 29. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Raton Krtn Radio, NM, 0.2 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Raton’s center in zone 6a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −7°. 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 25 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Raton Krtn Radio, NM, falls mostly in March. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 16 inches a year; July is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 72 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Raton
97% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from October 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 Raton Krtn Radio, NM.
Living with Raton’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
132 frost-free days in zone 6a. 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 Sep 29.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, August and September. 5.2 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Raton from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (57%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 7%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Raton and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Raton yet.
Climates most like Raton’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Raton, NM | 15° | 85° | 16" | 25" |
| Helena, MT | 15° | 85° | 12" | 37" |
| Show Low, AZ | 19° | 86° | 15" | 19" |
| Rapid City, SD | 14° | 86° | 19" | 36" |
| Glenwood Springs, CO | 14° | 87° | 15" | 39" |
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 Raton averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.6°).
A smaller shift than in 72% 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 Raton compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Raton’s place among New Mexico’s.
Raton weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Raton’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Raton Krtn Radio, NM. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 47° | 15° | 0.4" | 3.5" | 3 | 25° – 36° |
| February | 49° | 18° | 0.3" | 3.7" | 3 | 27° – 40° |
| March | 57° | 24° | 0.9" | 5.4" | 5 | 36° – 46° |
| April | 63° | 30° | 1.1" | 1.9" | 5 | 41° – 52° |
| May | 72° | 39° | 1.7" | 0.3" | 8 | 51° – 62° |
| June | 82° | 48° | 1.7" | 0.1" | 9 | 60° – 69° |
| July | 85° | 54° | 2.9" | 0.0" | 11 | 66° – 73° |
| August | 83° | 52° | 2.8" | 0.0" | 12 | 64° – 71° |
| September | 77° | 45° | 1.6" | 0.0" | 7 | 56° – 65° |
| October | 67° | 33° | 1.1" | 1.2" | 4 | 44° – 55° |
| November | 55° | 23° | 0.5" | 4.8" | 3 | 32° – 46° |
| December | 46° | 16° | 0.5" | 4.5" | 3 | 26° – 35° |
| Year | 65° | 33° | 15.5" | 25.4" | 72 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 32° to 46°. July is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Raton’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 Raton’s center.
- Snow: Raton Krtn Radio, NM (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Raton Krtn Radio, NM, 0.2 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 Raton’s climate
What is the weather like in Raton?
A typical July afternoon reaches 85°, a January night drops to 15°, and about 25 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 83% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 52% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Raton in winter?
January nights average 15°. About 191 nights a year reach 32° or below and 4 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 25°.
How much snow does Raton get?
About 25 inches in a normal winter at Raton Krtn Radio, NM, most of it in March.
How hot does it get in Raton?
July, with a typical high of 85° and a low of 54°. About 11 days a year reach 90° (Raton Krtn Radio, NM).
When is the first and last frost in Raton?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 19 and the first fall frost by September 29, about 132 frost-free days, at Raton Krtn Radio, NM.
What growing zone is Raton in?
Zone 6a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −7°.
What is the best time of year to visit Raton?
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 Raton getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 72% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Raton.
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.