San Estevan del Rey Mission Church · Photo: Beyond My Ken · CC BY-SA 4.0Skyline-Ganipa is among the driest of U.S. towns: 10 inches of precipitation a year
High summer brings afternoon highs near 90°. The gap between a January night and a July afternoon is 72°. Summer afternoons here are warmer than in 76% of U.S. towns. For walks and days out, May and September bring highs of 78–81°.
A year in Skyline-Ganipa at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Skyline-Ganipa’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Skyline-Ganipa’s place in New Mexico beside it.
What a year in Skyline-Ganipa feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 145 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 13 and the first by October 4. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Cubero, NM, 7 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Skyline-Ganipa’s center in zone 6b: 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 15 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Cubero, NM, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 10 inches a year; August is the wettest month and April the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 45 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Skyline-Ganipa
88% 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 Cubero, NM.
Living with Skyline-Ganipa’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
145 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by May 13 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 and September. 3.1 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Skyline-Ganipa from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (67%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 14%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Skyline-Ganipa and its neighbors
McCartys Village has the coldest January nights next door (17°, 1° colder). Differences under a degree are within what the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Skyline-Ganipa’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Skyline-Ganipa, NM | 19° | 90° | 10" | 15" |
| Richfield, UT | 16° | 90° | 11" | 18" |
| Rupert, ID | 20° | 89° | 10" | 21" |
| Johnson Lane, NV | 22° | 91° | 10" | 14" |
| Montrose, CO | 15° | 90° | 10" | 22" |
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value. Snow and frost-free days come from the nearest weather station, so neighbors often share them.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Skyline-Ganipa averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.6°).
A bigger shift than in 54% 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 Skyline-Ganipa compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Skyline-Ganipa’s place among New Mexico’s.
Skyline-Ganipa weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Skyline-Ganipa’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Cubero, NM. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 49° | 19° | 0.5" | 3.9" | 3 | 2 | 28° – 40° |
| February | 53° | 22° | 0.4" | 2.4" | 3 | 1 | 33° – 43° |
| March | 61° | 27° | 0.4" | 1.4" | 2 | 0 | 40° – 49° |
| April | 68° | 33° | 0.4" | 0.7" | 2 | 0 | 46° – 56° |
| May | 78° | 42° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 55° – 66° |
| June | 88° | 52° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 66° – 74° |
| July | 90° | 58° | 1.8" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 70° – 78° |
| August | 87° | 56° | 2.1" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 68° – 75° |
| September | 81° | 48° | 1.2" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 60° – 67° |
| October | 71° | 36° | 0.8" | 0.6" | 3 | 0 | 50° – 58° |
| November | 58° | 25° | 0.7" | 1.4" | 2 | 0 | 35° – 48° |
| December | 48° | 18° | 0.6" | 4.6" | 2 | 2 | 27° – 39° |
| Year | 69° | 36° | 9.9" | 15.0" | 45 | 5 |
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°. August is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Skyline-Ganipa’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 Skyline-Ganipa’s center.
- Snow: Cubero, NM.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Cubero, NM, 7 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 Skyline-Ganipa’s climate
What is the weather like in Skyline-Ganipa?
A typical July afternoon reaches 90°, a January night drops to 19°, and about 15 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 66% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 76% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Skyline-Ganipa in winter?
December nights average 18°. About 162 nights a year reach 32° or below and 2 reach 0° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 27°.
How much snow does Skyline-Ganipa get?
About 15 inches in a normal winter at Cubero, NM, most of it in December, with snow on the ground about 5 days a year.
How hot does it get in Skyline-Ganipa?
July, with a typical high of 90° and a low of 58°. About 47 days a year reach 90° and 2 reach 100° (Cubero, NM).
When is the first and last frost in Skyline-Ganipa?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 13 and the first fall frost by October 4, about 145 frost-free days, at Cubero, NM.
What growing zone is Skyline-Ganipa in?
Zone 6b 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 Skyline-Ganipa?
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 Skyline-Ganipa getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 54% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Skyline-Ganipa.
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.