Taos Pueblo · Photo: John Phelan · CC BY-SA 3.0Less rain and snow falls on Taos Pueblo than on 94% of U.S. towns: 14 inches a year
On a normal January night the air cools to about 12°. Temperatures cover 70° across the year, low to high. Winter nights are cold: in January they are colder than in 91% of U.S. towns. For walks and days out, the stretch from June to September brings highs of 74–83°.
A year in Taos Pueblo at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Taos Pueblo’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Taos Pueblo’s place in New Mexico beside it.
What a year in Taos Pueblo feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 136 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 19 and the first by October 3. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Taos, NM, 5 miles from the town’s center, 360 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Taos Pueblo’s center in zone 5b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −11°. 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 28 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Taos, NM, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 14 inches a year; August is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 61 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Taos Pueblo
95% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from October through May.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Taos, NM.
Living with Taos Pueblo’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
136 frost-free days in zone 5b. The last frost comes by May 19 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 3.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July, August and September. 13 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Taos Pueblo from natural hazards, avalanches are the largest share (62%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 3%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Taos Pueblo and its neighbors
Taos has the coldest January nights next door (11°, 1° colder) and Taos the hottest July afternoons (84°, 2° warmer). Differences under a degree are within what the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Taos Pueblo’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Taos Pueblo, NM | 12° | 83° | 14" | 28" |
| Helena, MT | 15° | 85° | 12" | 37" |
| Cody, WY | 14° | 85° | 11" | 45" |
| Dickinson, ND | 5° | 83° | 16" | 35" |
| Cimarron Hills, CO | 18° | 85° | 17" | 33" |
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 Taos Pueblo averaged 1.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.8°).
A bigger shift than in 62% 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 Taos Pueblo compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Taos Pueblo’s place among New Mexico’s.
Taos Pueblo weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Taos Pueblo’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Taos, NM. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 40° | 12° | 0.7" | 6.0" | 4 | 19° – 33° |
| February | 44° | 17° | 0.7" | 3.3" | 4 | 24° – 37° |
| March | 53° | 23° | 0.9" | 4.0" | 4 | 34° – 43° |
| April | 60° | 29° | 1.0" | 1.9" | 4 | 40° – 50° |
| May | 69° | 37° | 1.2" | 0.0" | 5 | 49° – 58° |
| June | 80° | 45° | 0.8" | 0.0" | 5 | 59° – 67° |
| July | 83° | 51° | 2.1" | 0.0" | 7 | 63° – 71° |
| August | 80° | 49° | 2.2" | 0.0" | 10 | 61° – 68° |
| September | 74° | 42° | 1.5" | 0.0" | 6 | 53° – 62° |
| October | 64° | 31° | 1.2" | 1.4" | 5 | 44° – 53° |
| November | 51° | 21° | 0.9" | 2.8" | 4 | 28° – 42° |
| December | 40° | 13° | 0.9" | 9.0" | 4 | 21° – 33° |
| Year | 62° | 31° | 14.2" | 28.4" | 61 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 28° to 42°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Taos Pueblo’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 Taos Pueblo’s center.
- Snow: Taos, NM.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Taos, NM, 5 miles from the town’s center, 360 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 Taos Pueblo’s climate
What is the weather like in Taos Pueblo?
A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 12°, and about 28 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 91% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 76% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Taos Pueblo in winter?
January nights average 12°. About 183 nights a year reach 32° or below and 8 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 19°.
How much snow does Taos Pueblo get?
About 28 inches in a normal winter at Taos, NM, most of it in December.
How hot does it get in Taos Pueblo?
July, with a typical high of 83° and a low of 51°. About 23 days a year reach 90° (Taos, NM).
When is the first and last frost in Taos Pueblo?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 19 and the first fall frost by October 3, about 136 frost-free days, at Taos, NM.
What growing zone is Taos Pueblo in?
Zone 5b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −11°.
What is the best time of year to visit Taos Pueblo?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), June, July, August and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Taos Pueblo getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.5° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 62% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Taos Pueblo.
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.