San Lorenzo Historic District · Photo: Jon Roanhaus · CC BY-SA 4.0Precipitation in San Lorenzo trails that of 93% of U.S. towns: 15 inches a year
Peak summer warmth arrives in July, with afternoons near 89°. The gap between a January night and a July afternoon is 67°. By July afternoons alone, it runs hotter than 70% of U.S. towns. The heating season runs November to March: each of those months averages under 50°.
A year in San Lorenzo at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about San Lorenzo’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with San Lorenzo’s place in New Mexico beside it.
What a year in San Lorenzo feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 183 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 23 and the first by October 23. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Hillsboro, NM, 22 miles from the town’s center, 490 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts San Lorenzo’s center in zone 7b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 6°. 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 3 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Hillsboro, NM, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 15 inches a year; August is the wettest month and April the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 53 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in San Lorenzo
76% of the work is heating. Months averaging under 55° run from November 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 Hillsboro, NM.
Living with San Lorenzo’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
183 frost-free days in zone 7b. 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 23.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May and September.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in San Lorenzo from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (57%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 1%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →San Lorenzo and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around San Lorenzo yet.
Climates most like San Lorenzo’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Lorenzo, NM | 23° | 89° | 15" | 2.7" |
| Alpine, TX | 30° | 90° | 15" | 2.2" |
| Prineville, OR | 25° | 87° | 11" | 8.8" |
| Prescott, AZ | 26° | 90° | 15" | 10" |
| Spanish Springs, NV | 25° | 91° | 10" | 6.8" |
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 San Lorenzo averaged 1.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.6°).
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 San Lorenzo compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with San Lorenzo’s place among New Mexico’s.
San Lorenzo weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at San Lorenzo’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Hillsboro, NM. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 55° | 23° | 0.9" | 1.2" | 3 | 0 | 34° – 44° |
| February | 58° | 26° | 0.8" | 0.3" | 2 | 0 | 37° – 47° |
| March | 65° | 30° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 42° – 53° |
| April | 72° | 35° | 0.3" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 48° – 58° |
| May | 80° | 43° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 57° – 66° |
| June | 90° | 52° | 0.8" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 67° – 75° |
| July | 89° | 57° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 70° – 76° |
| August | 86° | 57° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 68° – 76° |
| September | 82° | 50° | 1.9" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 61° – 69° |
| October | 73° | 39° | 1.0" | 0.3" | 4 | 0 | 53° – 60° |
| November | 62° | 29° | 0.9" | 0.3" | 3 | 0 | 39° – 54° |
| December | 54° | 23° | 1.1" | 0.6" | 4 | 0 | 34° – 42° |
| Year | 72° | 39° | 14.6" | 2.7" | 53 | 1 |
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 54°. July is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where San Lorenzo’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 San Lorenzo’s center.
- Snow: Hillsboro, NM.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Hillsboro, NM, 22 miles from the town’s center, 490 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 San Lorenzo’s climate
What is the weather like in San Lorenzo?
A typical July afternoon reaches 89°, a January night drops to 23°, and about 3 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 57% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 70% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in San Lorenzo in winter?
December nights average 23°. About 108 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 34°.
How much snow does San Lorenzo get?
About 2.7 inches in a normal winter at Hillsboro, NM, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 1 days a year.
How hot does it get in San Lorenzo?
July, with a typical high of 89° and a low of 57°. About 75 days a year reach 90° and 7 reach 100° (Hillsboro, NM).
When is the first and last frost in San Lorenzo?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 23 and the first fall frost by October 23, about 183 frost-free days, at Hillsboro, NM.
What growing zone is San Lorenzo in?
Zone 7b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 6°.
What is the best time of year to visit San Lorenzo?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is San Lorenzo 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 San Lorenzo.
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.