Precipitation in Sena trails that of 91% of U.S. towns: 17 inches a year
Midwinter brings lows of about 20°. Summer afternoons here are warmer than in 65% of U.S. towns. The latest 30-year average runs 1.6° warmer than 1901–2000’s, with March up the most. Plan time outside for May and September, when highs sit at 76–80°.
A year in Sena at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Sena’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Sena’s place in New Mexico beside it.
What a year in Sena feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 176 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 24 and the first by October 20. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Villanueva, NM, 3 miles from the town’s center, 200 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Sena’s 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 25 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Villanueva, NM, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 17 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 Sena
84% 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 Villanueva, NM.
Living with Sena’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
176 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by Apr 24 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 20.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May and September. 2.3 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Sena from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (82%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 2%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Sena and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Sena yet.
Climates most like Sena’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sena, NM | 20° | 88° | 17" | 25" |
| Dakota Ridge, CO | 19° | 87° | 18" | 34" |
| Show Low, AZ | 19° | 86° | 15" | 19" |
| Cold Springs, NV | 23° | 88° | 13" | 17" |
| Hamilton, MT | 20° | 86° | 13" | 17" |
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 Sena averaged 1.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+3.0°).
A bigger shift than in 67% 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 Sena compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Sena’s place among New Mexico’s.
Sena weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Sena’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Villanueva, NM. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 49° | 20° | 0.6" | 4.7" | 3 | 2 | 27° – 40° |
| February | 52° | 23° | 0.5" | 4.2" | 3 | 1 | 32° – 44° |
| March | 60° | 28° | 0.8" | 3.6" | 3 | 1 | 40° – 50° |
| April | 67° | 34° | 0.8" | 0.5" | 3 | 0 | 46° – 55° |
| May | 76° | 43° | 1.3" | 0.1" | 4 | 0 | 55° – 65° |
| June | 86° | 52° | 1.5" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 65° – 73° |
| July | 88° | 57° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 69° – 76° |
| August | 85° | 56° | 2.9" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 67° – 74° |
| September | 80° | 48° | 2.7" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 59° – 68° |
| October | 69° | 37° | 1.5" | 1.0" | 4 | 0 | 50° – 59° |
| November | 58° | 27° | 0.7" | 3.7" | 2 | 1 | 35° – 49° |
| December | 48° | 21° | 0.8" | 7.2" | 3 | 1 | 29° – 39° |
| Year | 68° | 37° | 17.0" | 25.0" | 51 | 8 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 35° to 49°. July is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Sena’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 Sena’s center.
- Snow: Villanueva, NM.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Villanueva, NM, 3 miles from the town’s center, 200 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 Sena’s climate
What is the weather like in Sena?
A typical July afternoon reaches 88°, a January night drops to 20°, and about 25 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 57% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 65% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Sena in winter?
January nights average 20°. About 129 nights a year reach 32° or below and 1 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 27°.
How much snow does Sena get?
About 25 inches in a normal winter at Villanueva, NM, most of it in December, with snow on the ground about 8 days a year.
How hot does it get in Sena?
July, with a typical high of 88° and a low of 57°. About 56 days a year reach 90° and 2 reach 100° (Villanueva, NM).
When is the first and last frost in Sena?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 24 and the first fall frost by October 20, about 176 frost-free days, at Villanueva, NM.
What growing zone is Sena 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 Sena?
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 Sena getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.6° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 67% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Sena.
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.