Rio Communities reaches 100° on about 13 days a year, more than 92% of U.S. towns
On a normal January night the air cools to about 21°. By precipitation alone, it ranks drier than 98% of U.S. towns. March has warmed most since 1901–2000, part of a 2.0° rise. The frost-free window for a garden runs roughly April 23 to October 21.
A year in Rio Communities at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Rio Communities’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Rio Communities’ place in New Mexico beside it.
What a year in Rio Communities feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 178 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 23 and the first by October 21. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Los Lunas 3 Ssw, NM, 9 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Rio Communities’ center in zone 7a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 5°. 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 5 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Los Lunas 3 Ssw, NM, falls mostly in January and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 9 inches a year; August is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 52 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Rio Communities
79% of the work is heating. Months averaging under 55° run from November through March.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Los Lunas 3 Ssw, NM.
Living with Rio Communities’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
178 frost-free days in zone 7a. The last frost comes by Apr 23 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 21.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May and October. 16 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Rio Communities from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (66%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 4%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Rio Communities and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Rio Communities yet.
Climates most like Rio Communities’, 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 Communities, NM | 21° | 94° | 9" | 5.1" |
| Silver Springs, NV | 23° | 95° | 5" | 4.5" |
| Star, ID | 24° | 93° | 11" | 7.4" |
| Fruitvale, CO | 19° | 94° | 10" | 13" |
| Ontario, OR | 23° | 93° | 10" | 15" |
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 Communities averaged 2.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.9°).
A bigger shift than in 89% 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 Communities compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Rio Communities’ place among New Mexico’s.
Rio Communities weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Rio Communities’ center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Los Lunas 3 Ssw, NM. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 52° | 21° | 0.4" | 1.5" | 3 | 0 | 31° – 41° |
| February | 59° | 26° | 0.5" | 0.7" | 3 | 0 | 36° – 47° |
| March | 67° | 32° | 0.5" | 0.3" | 3 | 0 | 46° – 55° |
| April | 74° | 39° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 52° – 61° |
| May | 84° | 47° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 61° – 70° |
| June | 94° | 57° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 71° – 79° |
| July | 94° | 63° | 1.7" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 75° – 82° |
| August | 92° | 61° | 1.8" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 73° – 80° |
| September | 86° | 53° | 1.1" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 64° – 73° |
| October | 75° | 40° | 0.9" | 0.4" | 4 | 0 | 54° – 63° |
| November | 62° | 28° | 0.6" | 0.6" | 3 | 0 | 39° – 52° |
| December | 51° | 21° | 0.6" | 1.6" | 3 | 0 | 32° – 41° |
| Year | 74° | 41° | 9.4" | 5.1" | 52 | 2 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 39° to 52°. August is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Rio Communities’ 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 Communities’ center.
- Snow: Los Lunas 3 Ssw, NM.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Los Lunas 3 Ssw, NM, 9 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 Rio Communities’ climate
What is the weather like in Rio Communities?
A typical July afternoon reaches 94°, a January night drops to 21°, and about 5 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 54% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 94% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Rio Communities in winter?
January nights average 21°. About 152 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 31°.
How much snow does Rio Communities get?
About 5.1 inches in a normal winter at Los Lunas 3 Ssw, NM, most of it in January and December, with snow on the ground about 2 days a year.
How hot does it get in Rio Communities?
July, with a typical high of 94° and a low of 63°. About 92 days a year reach 90° and 13 reach 100° (Los Lunas 3 Ssw, NM).
When is the first and last frost in Rio Communities?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 23 and the first fall frost by October 21, about 178 frost-free days, at Los Lunas 3 Ssw, NM.
What growing zone is Rio Communities in?
Zone 7a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 5°.
What is the best time of year to visit Rio Communities?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Rio Communities getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 2.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 89% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Rio Communities.
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.