Few U.S. towns get less rain and snow than Sheep Springs: 7 inches a year
The depth of winter brings overnight lows near 20°. A year here swings 72° from midwinter lows to midsummer highs. By July afternoons alone, it runs hotter than 87% of U.S. towns. Picnics, hikes and garden evenings suit May and September, with highs of 77–82°.
A year in Sheep Springs at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Sheep Springs’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Sheep Springs’ place in New Mexico beside it.
What a year in Sheep Springs feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 7 inches of rain a year
August is the wettest month and June the driest.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Living with Sheep Springs’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
Zone 7a.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May and September. 8.2 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Sheep Springs 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 →Sheep Springs and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Sheep Springs 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 Sheep Springs averaged 1.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.7°).
A bigger shift than in 61% 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 Sheep Springs compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Sheep Springs’ place among New Mexico’s.
Sheep Springs weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Sheep Springs’ center. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 44° | 20° | 0.4" | 26° – 38° |
| February | 50° | 24° | 0.3" | 32° – 43° |
| March | 60° | 29° | 0.4" | 40° – 49° |
| April | 67° | 35° | 0.3" | 46° – 55° |
| May | 77° | 43° | 0.5" | 55° – 64° |
| June | 88° | 53° | 0.3" | 66° – 76° |
| July | 92° | 60° | 1.1" | 72° – 79° |
| August | 88° | 59° | 1.3" | 71° – 79° |
| September | 82° | 50° | 0.8" | 61° – 69° |
| October | 69° | 38° | 0.6" | 50° – 58° |
| November | 55° | 27° | 0.4" | 35° – 48° |
| December | 44° | 20° | 0.5" | 25° – 38° |
| Year | 68° | 38° | 6.9" |
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 48°. July is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Sheep Springs’ 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 Sheep Springs’ center.
- 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 Sheep Springs’ climate
What is the weather like in Sheep Springs?
A typical July afternoon reaches 92°, a January night drops to 20°. Colder January nights than 60% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 87% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Sheep Springs in winter?
December nights average 20°. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 25°.
How hot does it get in Sheep Springs?
July, with a typical high of 92°. 90° days are rare.
What growing zone is Sheep Springs 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 Sheep Springs?
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 Sheep Springs getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.5° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 61% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Sheep Springs.
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.