San Juan River Bridge at Shiprock · Photo: Mx. Granger · CC0Hardly any U.S. towns collect less precipitation than Shiprock: 7 inches a year
Midwinter brings lows of about 21°. Its July heat outdoes that of 95% of U.S. towns. Compared with 1901–2000, the average now sits 1.8° higher. Garden planting can start around May 12; autumn frost returns near October 4.
A year in Shiprock at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Shiprock’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Shiprock’s place in New Mexico beside it.
What a year in Shiprock feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 143 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 12 and the first by October 4. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Fruitland, NM, 19 miles from the town’s center, 190 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Shiprock’s center in zone 7a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 2°. 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 9 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Farmington Ag Sci Cnt, NM, falls mostly in January, February and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 7 inches a year; September is the wettest month and June 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 Shiprock
88% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from November 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 Fruitland, NM.
Living with Shiprock’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
143 frost-free days in zone 7a. The last frost comes by May 12 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 4.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May. 16 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Shiprock from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (76%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 16%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Shiprock and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Shiprock yet.
Climates most like Shiprock’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shiprock, NM | 21° | 95° | 7" | 8.6" |
| Orchard Mesa, CO | 18° | 94° | 9" | 13" |
| Fallon, NV | 22° | 96° | 4" | 4.5" |
| Payette, ID | 23° | 94° | 10" | 15" |
| 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 Shiprock averaged 1.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.9°).
A bigger shift than in 80% 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 Shiprock compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Shiprock’s place among New Mexico’s.
Shiprock weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Shiprock’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Farmington Ag Sci Cnt, NM. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 45° | 21° | 0.6" | 2.2" | 5 | 3 | 25° – 39° |
| February | 52° | 25° | 0.5" | 2.0" | 5 | 2 | 34° – 44° |
| March | 62° | 31° | 0.5" | 0.9" | 5 | 0 | 43° – 52° |
| April | 70° | 37° | 0.4" | 0.3" | 4 | 0 | 49° – 58° |
| May | 80° | 46° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 58° – 67° |
| June | 91° | 55° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 69° – 79° |
| July | 95° | 63° | 0.7" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 75° – 83° |
| August | 92° | 61° | 0.9" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 73° – 81° |
| September | 84° | 52° | 0.9" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 63° – 71° |
| October | 72° | 39° | 0.7" | 0.5" | 6 | 0 | 51° – 60° |
| November | 57° | 28° | 0.5" | 0.7" | 5 | 0 | 35° – 50° |
| December | 44° | 20° | 0.7" | 2.0" | 5 | 2 | 26° – 39° |
| Year | 70° | 40° | 7.2" | 8.6" | 62 | 7 |
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 50°. August is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Shiprock’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 Shiprock’s center.
- Snow: Farmington Ag Sci Cnt, NM.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Fruitland, NM, 19 miles from the town’s center, 190 ft higher; 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 Shiprock’s climate
What is the weather like in Shiprock?
A typical July afternoon reaches 95°, a January night drops to 21°, and about 9 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 55% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 95% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Shiprock in winter?
December nights average 20°. About 156 nights a year reach 32° or below and 1 reach 0° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 26°.
How much snow does Shiprock get?
About 8.6 inches in a normal winter at Farmington Ag Sci Cnt, NM, most of it in January, February and December, with snow on the ground about 7 days a year.
How hot does it get in Shiprock?
July, with a typical high of 95° and a low of 63°. About 62 days a year reach 90° and 2 reach 100° (Fruitland, NM).
When is the first and last frost in Shiprock?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 12 and the first fall frost by October 4, about 143 frost-free days, at Fruitland, NM.
What growing zone is Shiprock in?
Zone 7a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 2°.
What is the best time of year to visit Shiprock?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Shiprock getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.8° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 80% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Shiprock.
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.