Photo: Matthew.kowal · CC BY-SA 4.0South Valley’s winters are milder and less snowy than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 94°, a January night drops to 22°, and about 7 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in South Valley at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about South Valley’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with South Valley’s place in New Mexico beside it.
What a year in South Valley feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 189 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 18 and the first by October 24. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Albuquerque Valley, NM, 1.1 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts South Valley’s center in zone 7b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 7°. 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 7 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Albuquerque Valley, NM, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 9 inches a year; July is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 56 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in South Valley
77% 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 Albuquerque Valley, NM.
Living with South Valley’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
189 frost-free days in zone 7b. The last frost comes by Apr 18 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 24.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May and October. 49 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in South Valley from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (59%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 6%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →South Valley and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of South Valley in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like South Valley’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Valley, NM | 22° | 94° | 9" | 6.8" |
| Star, ID | 24° | 93° | 11" | 7.4" |
| Fernley, NV | 25° | 93° | 6" | 4.5" |
| Fruitvale, CO | 19° | 94° | 10" | 13" |
| Ontario, OR | 23° | 93° | 10" | 15" |
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 South Valley averaged 2.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+3.2°).
A bigger shift than in 90% 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 South Valley compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with South Valley’s place among New Mexico’s.
South Valley weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at South Valley’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Albuquerque Valley, NM. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 51° | 22° | 0.4" | 1.4" | 4 | 1 | 31° – 42° |
| February | 57° | 26° | 0.4" | 1.3" | 4 | 0 | 37° – 46° |
| March | 66° | 33° | 0.5" | 0.6" | 4 | 0 | 45° – 54° |
| April | 73° | 39° | 0.5" | 0.3" | 3 | 0 | 52° – 61° |
| May | 82° | 48° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 61° – 69° |
| June | 93° | 57° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 71° – 79° |
| July | 94° | 63° | 1.6" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 75° – 82° |
| August | 91° | 61° | 1.5" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 73° – 80° |
| September | 85° | 53° | 1.2" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 64° – 73° |
| October | 74° | 41° | 0.9" | 0.3" | 5 | 0 | 54° – 62° |
| November | 60° | 29° | 0.6" | 0.6" | 3 | 0 | 38° – 51° |
| December | 50° | 22° | 0.6" | 2.3" | 4 | 1 | 32° – 41° |
| Year | 73° | 41° | 9.3" | 6.8" | 56 | 3 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 38° to 51°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where South Valley’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 South Valley’s center.
- Snow: Albuquerque Valley, NM (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Albuquerque Valley, NM, 1.1 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 South Valley’s climate
What is the weather like in South Valley?
A typical July afternoon reaches 94°, a January night drops to 22°, and about 7 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 51% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 92% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in South Valley in winter?
January nights average 22°. About 126 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 31°.
How much snow does South Valley get?
About 6.8 inches in a normal winter at Albuquerque Valley, NM, most of it in December, with snow on the ground about 3 days a year.
How hot does it get in South Valley?
July, with a typical high of 94° and a low of 63°. About 69 days a year reach 90° and 4 reach 100° (Albuquerque Valley, NM).
When is the first and last frost in South Valley?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 18 and the first fall frost by October 24, about 189 frost-free days, at Albuquerque Valley, NM.
What growing zone is South Valley in?
Zone 7b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 7°.
What is the best time of year to visit South Valley?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is South Valley getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 2.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 90% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in South Valley.
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.