Sanostee sits near the bottom of U.S. towns for precipitation, with 7 inches a year
Deep winter brings January lows near 20°. The gap between a January night and a July afternoon is 71°. Summer afternoons here are warmer than in 81% of U.S. towns. Garden planting can start around May 3; autumn frost returns near October 17.
A year in Sanostee at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Sanostee’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Sanostee’s place in New Mexico beside it.
What a year in Sanostee feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 163 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 3 and the first by October 17. Frost and day counts come from Lukachukai, AZ, 20 miles away.
The 2023 USDA map puts Sanostee’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 7 inches of rain a year
August is the wettest month and February the driest.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Sanostee
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 Lukachukai, AZ.
Living with Sanostee’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
163 frost-free days in zone 7a. The last frost comes by May 3 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 17.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May and September. 12 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Sanostee from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (74%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 16%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Sanostee and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Sanostee yet.
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 Sanostee averaged 1.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.7°).
A bigger shift than in 64% 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 Sanostee compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Sanostee’s place among New Mexico’s.
Sanostee weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Sanostee’s center. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 43° | 20° | 0.4" | 25° – 38° |
| February | 49° | 24° | 0.3" | 31° – 43° |
| March | 58° | 30° | 0.4" | 40° – 49° |
| April | 65° | 35° | 0.3" | 45° – 55° |
| May | 75° | 44° | 0.5" | 54° – 63° |
| June | 87° | 54° | 0.3" | 66° – 75° |
| July | 91° | 60° | 1.1" | 71° – 79° |
| August | 87° | 58° | 1.2" | 70° – 77° |
| September | 80° | 51° | 0.9" | 60° – 68° |
| October | 68° | 38° | 0.6" | 49° – 58° |
| November | 54° | 28° | 0.3" | 34° – 48° |
| December | 43° | 20° | 0.5" | 25° – 38° |
| Year | 67° | 38° | 6.8" |
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°. August is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Sanostee’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 Sanostee’s center.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Lukachukai, AZ, 20 miles from the town’s center, 540 ft higher; no station nearby passes every check; this is the nearest one in the same valley, flagged above.
- 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 Sanostee’s climate
What is the weather like in Sanostee?
A typical July afternoon reaches 91°, a January night drops to 20°. Colder January nights than 60% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 81% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Sanostee in winter?
December nights average 20°. About 146 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 25°.
How hot does it get in Sanostee?
July, with a typical high of 91° and a low of 60°. About 22 days a year reach 90° (Lukachukai, AZ).
When is the first and last frost in Sanostee?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 3 and the first fall frost by October 17, about 163 frost-free days, at Lukachukai, AZ.
What growing zone is Sanostee 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 Sanostee?
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 Sanostee getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.6° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 64% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Sanostee.
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.