Few U.S. towns get less rain and snow than Sundance: 10 inches a year
Deep winter brings January lows near 17°. The gap between a January night and a July afternoon is 72°. In January, nights here are colder than in 75% of U.S. towns. Tender plants can go out after about May 11; in half of years the first frost comes by October 7.
A year in Sundance at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Sundance’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Sundance’s place in New Mexico beside it.
What a year in Sundance feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 148 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 11 and the first by October 7. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Gallup Sand & Gravel, NM, 4 miles from the town’s center, 260 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Sundance’s center in zone 6a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −6°. 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 21 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Gallup Sand & Gravel, NM, falls mostly in February and 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 68 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Sundance
92% 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 Gallup Sand & Gravel, NM.
Living with Sundance’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
148 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by May 11 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 7.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: September. 7.3 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Sundance from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (47%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 37%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Sundance and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Sundance in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Sundance’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sundance, NM | 17° | 88° | 10" | 21" |
| Rupert, ID | 20° | 89° | 10" | 21" |
| Montrose, CO | 15° | 90° | 10" | 22" |
| Richfield, UT | 16° | 90° | 11" | 18" |
| Cold Springs, NV | 23° | 88° | 13" | 17" |
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 Sundance averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.8°).
A bigger shift than in 56% 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 Sundance compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Sundance’s place among New Mexico’s.
Sundance weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Sundance’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Gallup Sand & Gravel, NM. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 45° | 17° | 0.7" | 4.5" | 6 | 9 | 25° – 37° |
| February | 49° | 21° | 0.5" | 5.7" | 5 | 5 | 30° – 41° |
| March | 58° | 26° | 0.5" | 2.0" | 4 | 1 | 36° – 46° |
| April | 65° | 31° | 0.3" | 0.7" | 4 | 0 | 43° – 53° |
| May | 74° | 39° | 0.5" | 0.5" | 4 | 0 | 52° – 60° |
| June | 86° | 48° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 62° – 71° |
| July | 88° | 56° | 1.5" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 68° – 75° |
| August | 85° | 55° | 1.7" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 67° – 74° |
| September | 79° | 46° | 1.3" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 58° – 66° |
| October | 68° | 34° | 1.1" | 0.4" | 5 | 0 | 48° – 56° |
| November | 55° | 23° | 0.8" | 1.6" | 4 | 2 | 32° – 46° |
| December | 45° | 17° | 0.7" | 5.2" | 6 | 7 | 24° – 37° |
| Year | 66° | 34° | 9.9" | 20.6" | 68 | 24 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 32° to 46°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Sundance’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 Sundance’s center.
- Snow: Gallup Sand & Gravel, NM.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Gallup Sand & Gravel, NM, 4 miles from the town’s center, 260 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 Sundance’s climate
What is the weather like in Sundance?
A typical July afternoon reaches 88°, a January night drops to 17°, and about 21 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 75% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 69% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Sundance in winter?
December nights average 17°. About 166 nights a year reach 32° or below and 3 reach 0° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 24°.
How much snow does Sundance get?
About 21 inches in a normal winter at Gallup Sand & Gravel, NM, most of it in February and December, with snow on the ground about 24 days a year.
How hot does it get in Sundance?
July, with a typical high of 88° and a low of 56°. About 29 days a year reach 90° (Gallup Sand & Gravel, NM).
When is the first and last frost in Sundance?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 11 and the first fall frost by October 7, about 148 frost-free days, at Gallup Sand & Gravel, NM.
What growing zone is Sundance in?
Zone 6a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −6°.
What is the best time of year to visit Sundance?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Sundance getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 56% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Sundance.
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.