Photo: Davishan99 · CC BY-SA 3.0Red River gets about 157 inches of snow a winter, more than all but 51 U.S. towns
Peak summer warmth arrives in July, with afternoons near 73°. In July, afternoons here are cooler than in almost every U.S. town. Since 1901–2000, the year has warmed by 1.7°, most of all in March. Picnics, hikes and garden evenings come into their own from June to August, with highs of 71–73°.
A year in Red River at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Red River’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Red River’s place in New Mexico beside it.
What a year in Red River feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 77 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by June 19 and the first by September 7. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Red River, NM, 0.1 miles from the town’s center, 120 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Red River’s center in zone 5b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −13°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
About 157 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Red River, NM, falls mostly in March. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 22 inches a year; August is the wettest month and June the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 115 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Red River
Nearly all of the work is heating: a normal year has almost no cooling days. Months averaging under 55° run from September 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 Red River, NM.
Living with Red River’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
77 frost-free days in zone 5b. The last frost comes by Jun 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 7.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July and August. 3.3 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Red River from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (55%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 1%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Red River and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Red River yet.
Climates most like Red River’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Red River, NM | 12° | 73° | 22" | 157" |
| Woodland Park, CO | 11° | 77° | 22" | 134" |
| Marquette, MI | 11° | 76° | 32" | 102" |
| Snyderville, UT | 18° | 80° | 26" | 153" |
| Incline Village, NV | 22° | 73° | 38" | 179" |
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 Red River averaged 1.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.9°).
A bigger shift than in 69% 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 Red River compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Red River’s place among New Mexico’s.
Red River weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Red River’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Red River, NM. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 35° | 12° | 1.3" | 19.1" | 7 | 24 | 17° – 30° |
| February | 37° | 14° | 1.6" | 26.1" | 9 | 20 | 19° – 32° |
| March | 45° | 20° | 2.0" | 31.4" | 9 | 16 | 28° – 37° |
| April | 51° | 26° | 1.9" | 26.7" | 9 | 5 | 34° – 43° |
| May | 60° | 33° | 1.7" | 6.2" | 9 | 1 | 43° – 52° |
| June | 71° | 40° | 1.0" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 52° – 60° |
| July | 73° | 45° | 2.8" | 0.0" | 16 | 0 | 57° – 63° |
| August | 71° | 44° | 2.9" | 0.0" | 16 | 0 | 55° – 61° |
| September | 65° | 38° | 2.1" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 47° – 55° |
| October | 55° | 29° | 1.9" | 9.7" | 7 | 3 | 39° – 47° |
| November | 43° | 20° | 1.6" | 19.0" | 7 | 12 | 23° – 38° |
| December | 35° | 12° | 1.5" | 18.5" | 7 | 19 | 18° – 29° |
| Year | 53° | 28° | 22.3" | 156.7" | 115 | 99 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 23° to 38°. August is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Red River’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 Red River’s center.
- Snow: Red River, NM (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Red River, NM, 0.1 miles from the town’s center, 120 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 Red River’s climate
What is the weather like in Red River?
A typical July afternoon reaches 73°, a January night drops to 12°, and about 157 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 91% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than all but 150 U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Red River in winter?
January nights average 12°. About 237 nights a year reach 32° or below and 19 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 17°.
How much snow does Red River get?
About 157 inches in a normal winter at Red River, NM, most of it in March, with snow on the ground about 99 days a year.
How hot does it get in Red River?
July, with a typical high of 73°. 90° days are rare: none in a normal year at Red River, NM.
When is the first and last frost in Red River?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by June 19 and the first fall frost by September 7, about 77 frost-free days, at Red River, NM.
What growing zone is Red River in?
Zone 5b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −13°.
What is the best time of year to visit Red River?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), June, July and August. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Red River getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.7° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 69% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Red River.
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.