Photo: Wordbuilder · CC BY 3.0Dry weather: only 14 inches of rain and melted snow a year in Santa Rosa, less than in 93% of U.S. towns
Deep winter brings January lows near 23°. In July, afternoons here are warmer than in 90% of U.S. towns. March has warmed most since 1901–2000, part of a 1.6° rise. The frost-free window for a garden runs roughly April 20 to October 23.
A year in Santa Rosa at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Santa Rosa’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Santa Rosa’s place in New Mexico beside it.
What a year in Santa Rosa 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 20 and the first by October 23. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Santa Rosa, NM, 3.0 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Santa Rosa’s center in zone 7a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 4°. 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 11 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Santa Rosa, NM, falls mostly in January and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 14 inches a year; July is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 51 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Santa Rosa
74% 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 Santa Rosa, NM.
Living with Santa Rosa’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
183 frost-free days in zone 7a. The last frost comes by Apr 20 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, September and October. 5.6 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Santa Rosa from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (79%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 5%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Santa Rosa and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Santa Rosa yet.
Climates most like Santa Rosa’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Rosa, NM | 23° | 93° | 14" | 11" |
| Emmett, ID | 23° | 93° | 13" | 7.4" |
| Dumas, TX | 23° | 93° | 18" | 9.1" |
| Prescott Valley, AZ | 26° | 91° | 14" | 10" |
| 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 Santa Rosa averaged 1.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.9°).
A bigger shift than in 68% 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 Santa Rosa compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Santa Rosa’s place among New Mexico’s.
Santa Rosa weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Santa Rosa’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Santa Rosa, NM. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 54° | 23° | 0.4" | 3.1" | 2 | 1 | 31° – 43° |
| February | 58° | 26° | 0.4" | 1.6" | 3 | 1 | 36° – 49° |
| March | 66° | 31° | 0.8" | 1.5" | 3 | 0 | 44° – 54° |
| April | 73° | 38° | 0.8" | 0.3" | 3 | 0 | 50° – 61° |
| May | 82° | 48° | 1.3" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 61° – 70° |
| June | 91° | 57° | 1.6" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 70° – 78° |
| July | 93° | 62° | 2.4" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 73° – 81° |
| August | 90° | 60° | 2.3" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 72° – 80° |
| September | 84° | 53° | 1.9" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 63° – 73° |
| October | 74° | 41° | 1.3" | 0.2" | 4 | 0 | 54° – 62° |
| November | 62° | 30° | 0.5" | 1.4" | 3 | 1 | 39° – 52° |
| December | 53° | 23° | 0.7" | 3.2" | 3 | 2 | 33° – 43° |
| Year | 73° | 41° | 14.4" | 11.3" | 51 | 4 |
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 8°.
Where Santa Rosa’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 Santa Rosa’s center.
- Snow: Santa Rosa, NM.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Santa Rosa, NM, 3.0 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 Santa Rosa’s climate
What is the weather like in Santa Rosa?
A typical July afternoon reaches 93°, a January night drops to 23°, and about 11 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 55% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 90% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Santa Rosa in winter?
January nights average 23°. About 115 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 31°.
How much snow does Santa Rosa get?
About 11 inches in a normal winter at Santa Rosa, NM, most of it in January and December, with snow on the ground about 4 days a year.
How hot does it get in Santa Rosa?
July, with a typical high of 93° and a low of 62°. About 77 days a year reach 90° and 5 reach 100° (Santa Rosa, NM).
When is the first and last frost in Santa Rosa?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 20 and the first fall frost by October 23, about 183 frost-free days, at Santa Rosa, NM.
What growing zone is Santa Rosa in?
Zone 7a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 4°.
What is the best time of year to visit Santa Rosa?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Santa Rosa getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.6° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 68% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Santa Rosa.
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.