Sandia Heights’ winters are milder and less snowy than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 87°, a January night drops to 22°, and about 12 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Sandia Heights at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Sandia Heights’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Sandia Heights’ place in New Mexico beside it.
What a year in Sandia Heights feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 184 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 21 and the first by October 23. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Albuquerque Foothills Ne, NM, 3.0 miles from the town’s center, 210 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Sandia Heights’ center in zone 7b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 8°. 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 12 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Albuquerque 4.6 E, NM, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 15 inches a year; July is the wettest month and May the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 62 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Sandia Heights
82% of the work is heating. 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 Albuquerque Foothills Ne, NM.
Living with Sandia Heights’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
184 frost-free days in zone 7b. The last frost comes by Apr 21 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. 0.8 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Sandia Heights from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (82%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 4%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Sandia Heights and its neighbors
Albuquerque the hottest July afternoons (94°, 7° warmer). Differences under a degree are within what the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Sandia Heights’, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sandia Heights, NM | 22° | 87° | 15" | 12" |
| Indian Hills, NV | 25° | 86° | 14" | 14" |
| Hamilton, MT | 20° | 86° | 13" | 17" |
| Prineville, OR | 25° | 87° | 11" | 8.8" |
| Show Low, AZ | 19° | 86° | 15" | 19" |
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value. Snow and frost-free days come from the nearest weather station, so neighbors often share them.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Sandia Heights averaged 1.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+3.2°).
A bigger shift than in 77% 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 Sandia Heights compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Sandia Heights’ place among New Mexico’s.
Sandia Heights weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Sandia Heights’ center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Albuquerque 4.6 E, NM. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 45° | 22° | 0.9" | 1.6" | 4 | 28° – 39° |
| February | 50° | 25° | 0.9" | 3.3" | 3 | 33° – 43° |
| March | 58° | 30° | 1.1" | 0.7" | 4 | 40° – 50° |
| April | 65° | 35° | 0.8" | 0.3" | 4 | 46° – 55° |
| May | 75° | 44° | 0.7" | 0.0" | 5 | 55° – 65° |
| June | 86° | 53° | 0.7" | 0.0" | 3 | 65° – 73° |
| July | 87° | 58° | 2.6" | 0.0" | 10 | 70° – 76° |
| August | 84° | 57° | 2.4" | 0.0" | 9 | 67° – 74° |
| September | 78° | 50° | 1.5" | 0.0" | 6 | 59° – 68° |
| October | 67° | 40° | 1.3" | 0.6" | 5 | 50° – 58° |
| November | 54° | 29° | 0.9" | 0.9" | 3 | 34° – 48° |
| December | 45° | 22° | 1.2" | 4.7" | 5 | 29° – 38° |
| Year | 66° | 39° | 14.9" | 12.1" | 62 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 34° to 48°. July is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Sandia Heights’ 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 Sandia Heights’ center.
- Snow: Albuquerque 4.6 E, NM.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Albuquerque Foothills Ne, NM, 3.0 miles from the town’s center, 210 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 Sandia Heights’ climate
What is the weather like in Sandia Heights?
A typical July afternoon reaches 87°, a January night drops to 22°, and about 12 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 53% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 62% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Sandia Heights in winter?
January nights average 22°. About 106 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 28°.
How much snow does Sandia Heights get?
About 12 inches in a normal winter at Albuquerque 4.6 E, NM, most of it in December.
How hot does it get in Sandia Heights?
July, with a typical high of 87° and a low of 58°. About 41 days a year reach 90° (Albuquerque Foothills Ne, NM).
When is the first and last frost in Sandia Heights?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 21 and the first fall frost by October 23, about 184 frost-free days, at Albuquerque Foothills Ne, NM.
What growing zone is Sandia Heights in?
Zone 7b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 8°.
What is the best time of year to visit Sandia Heights?
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 Sandia Heights getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.8° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 77% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Sandia Heights.
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.