Few U.S. towns get less rain and snow than San Luis: 10 inches a year
Expect July afternoons of about 89°. By July afternoons alone, it runs hotter than 73% of U.S. towns. Since 1901–2000, the year has warmed by 1.3°, most of all in March. The outdoor season, with highs of 76–80°, runs through May and September.
A year in San Luis at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about San Luis’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with San Luis’ place in New Mexico beside it.
What a year in San Luis feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 143 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 15 and the first by October 5. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Torreon Navajo Mission, NM, 10 miles from the town’s center, 290 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts San Luis’ center in zone 6b: 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 18 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Torreon Navajo Mission, NM, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 10 inches a year; August is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 56 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in San Luis
89% 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 Torreon Navajo Mission, NM.
Living with San Luis’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
143 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by May 15 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 5.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May and September. 6.4 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in San Luis from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (57%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 2%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →San Luis and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around San Luis yet.
Climates most like San Luis’, 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 Luis, NM | 18° | 89° | 10" | 18" |
| Rupert, ID | 20° | 89° | 10" | 21" |
| Richfield, UT | 16° | 90° | 11" | 18" |
| Montrose, CO | 15° | 90° | 10" | 22" |
| Snowflake, AZ | 20° | 90° | 10" | 13" |
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 Luis averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.4°).
A smaller shift than in 56% 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 Luis compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with San Luis’ place among New Mexico’s.
San Luis weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at San Luis’ center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Torreon Navajo Mission, NM. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 45° | 18° | 0.5" | 4.0" | 4 | 6 | 25° – 37° |
| February | 50° | 23° | 0.5" | 3.0" | 4 | 2 | 30° – 42° |
| March | 59° | 28° | 0.6" | 2.2" | 4 | 0 | 40° – 48° |
| April | 66° | 33° | 0.6" | 1.0" | 4 | 0 | 46° – 54° |
| May | 76° | 42° | 0.6" | 0.1" | 4 | 0 | 55° – 64° |
| June | 87° | 51° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 65° – 73° |
| July | 89° | 58° | 1.7" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 70° – 77° |
| August | 86° | 56° | 1.8" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 68° – 75° |
| September | 80° | 48° | 1.3" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 59° – 67° |
| October | 69° | 36° | 0.9" | 0.9" | 4 | 0 | 49° – 57° |
| November | 55° | 26° | 0.7" | 1.5" | 3 | 0 | 33° – 47° |
| December | 45° | 18° | 0.6" | 5.5" | 4 | 4 | 26° – 37° |
| Year | 67° | 36° | 10.2" | 18.2" | 56 | 14 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 33° to 47°. July is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where San Luis’ 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 Luis’ center.
- Snow: Torreon Navajo Mission, NM.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Torreon Navajo Mission, NM, 10 miles from the town’s center, 290 ft higher; 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 Luis’ climate
What is the weather like in San Luis?
A typical July afternoon reaches 89°, a January night drops to 18°, and about 18 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 70% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 73% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in San Luis in winter?
January nights average 18°. About 165 nights a year reach 32° or below and 3 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 25°.
How much snow does San Luis get?
About 18 inches in a normal winter at Torreon Navajo Mission, NM, most of it in December, with snow on the ground about 14 days a year.
How hot does it get in San Luis?
July, with a typical high of 89° and a low of 58°. About 42 days a year reach 90° (Torreon Navajo Mission, NM).
When is the first and last frost in San Luis?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 15 and the first fall frost by October 5, about 143 frost-free days, at Torreon Navajo Mission, NM.
What growing zone is San Luis in?
Zone 6b 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 San Luis?
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 Luis getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.3° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 56% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in San Luis.
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.