Rio Chiquito’s winters are colder but less snowy than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 86°, a January night drops to 19°, and about 11 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Rio Chiquito at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Rio Chiquito’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Rio Chiquito’s place in New Mexico beside it.
What a year in Rio Chiquito feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 145 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 10 and the first by October 4. Frost dates and degree days from Alcalde, NM, 11 miles away.
The 2023 USDA map puts Rio Chiquito’s center in zone 7a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 1°. 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 11 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Alcalde, NM, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 14 inches a year; July is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 55 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Rio Chiquito
92% 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 Alcalde, NM.
Living with Rio Chiquito’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
145 frost-free days in zone 7a. The last frost comes by May 10 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 4.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, August and September.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Rio Chiquito from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (78%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 2%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Rio Chiquito and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Rio Chiquito yet.
Climates most like Rio Chiquito’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rio Chiquito, NM | 19° | 86° | 14" | 11" |
| Hamilton, MT | 20° | 86° | 13" | 17" |
| Show Low, AZ | 19° | 86° | 15" | 19" |
| Blackfoot, ID | 16° | 88° | 11" | 15" |
| Indian Hills, NV | 25° | 86° | 14" | 14" |
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 Rio Chiquito averaged 1.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.7°).
A bigger shift than in 58% 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 Rio Chiquito compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Rio Chiquito’s place among New Mexico’s.
Rio Chiquito weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Rio Chiquito’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Alcalde, NM. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 44° | 19° | 0.8" | 2.2" | 3 | 2 | 27° – 37° |
| February | 48° | 23° | 0.6" | 1.5" | 3 | 1 | 30° – 41° |
| March | 57° | 28° | 0.8" | 1.4" | 4 | 1 | 39° – 47° |
| April | 64° | 34° | 0.7" | 0.3" | 4 | 0 | 44° – 54° |
| May | 73° | 42° | 0.9" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 54° – 63° |
| June | 84° | 51° | 0.9" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 63° – 71° |
| July | 86° | 57° | 2.4" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 69° – 75° |
| August | 83° | 55° | 2.1" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 66° – 73° |
| September | 77° | 48° | 1.4" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 57° – 65° |
| October | 66° | 36° | 1.3" | 0.6" | 5 | 0 | 48° – 55° |
| November | 53° | 26° | 0.9" | 1.4" | 3 | 1 | 32° – 46° |
| December | 43° | 19° | 0.9" | 3.3" | 3 | 3 | 26° – 35° |
| Year | 65° | 36° | 13.5" | 10.7" | 55 | 7 |
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 Rio Chiquito’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 Rio Chiquito’s center.
- Snow: Alcalde, NM.
- Frost dates, heating and cooling: Alcalde, NM, 11 miles away.
- 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 Rio Chiquito’s climate
What is the weather like in Rio Chiquito?
A typical July afternoon reaches 86°, a January night drops to 19°, and about 11 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 67% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 54% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Rio Chiquito in winter?
January nights average 19°. About 182 nights a year reach 32° or below and 1 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 27°.
How much snow does Rio Chiquito get?
About 11 inches in a normal winter at Alcalde, NM, most of it in December, with snow on the ground about 7 days a year.
How hot does it get in Rio Chiquito?
July, with a typical high of 86° and a low of 57°. About 40 days a year reach 90° (Alcalde, NM).
When is the first and last frost in Rio Chiquito?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 10 and the first fall frost by October 4, about 145 frost-free days, at Alcalde, NM.
What growing zone is Rio Chiquito in?
Zone 7a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 1°.
What is the best time of year to visit Rio Chiquito?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June, August and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Rio Chiquito getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.5° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 58% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Rio Chiquito.
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.