Less rain and snow falls on Tecolote than on 91% of U.S. towns: 17 inches a year
On a normal January night the air cools to about 20°. Temperatures cover 66° across the year, low to high. Tender plants can go out after about May 24; in half of years the first frost comes by September 30.
A year in Tecolote at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Tecolote’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Tecolote’s place in New Mexico beside it.
What a year in Tecolote feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 129 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 24 and the first by September 30. Frost and day counts come from Las Vegas Wwtp, NM, 8 miles away.
The 2023 USDA map puts Tecolote’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 26 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Pecos Nm, NM, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 17 inches a year; July is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 69 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Tecolote
96% 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 Las Vegas Wwtp, NM.
Living with Tecolote’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
129 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by May 24 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Sep 30.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, August and September. 5.1 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Tecolote from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (68%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 2%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Tecolote and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Tecolote yet.
Climates most like Tecolote’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tecolote, NM | 20° | 86° | 17" | 26" |
| Dakota Ridge, CO | 19° | 87° | 18" | 34" |
| Show Low, AZ | 19° | 86° | 15" | 19" |
| Hamilton, MT | 20° | 86° | 13" | 17" |
| Cold Springs, NV | 23° | 88° | 13" | 17" |
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 Tecolote averaged 1.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+3.0°).
A bigger shift than in 72% 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 Tecolote compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Tecolote’s place among New Mexico’s.
Tecolote weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Tecolote’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Pecos Nm, NM. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 49° | 20° | 0.6" | 6.3" | 4 | 28° – 40° |
| February | 52° | 23° | 0.4" | 4.4" | 4 | 31° – 43° |
| March | 59° | 27° | 0.7" | 3.0" | 4 | 39° – 49° |
| April | 66° | 34° | 0.7" | 1.0" | 4 | 45° – 54° |
| May | 75° | 42° | 1.3" | 0.0" | 4 | 54° – 65° |
| June | 85° | 51° | 1.5" | 0.0" | 5 | 63° – 72° |
| July | 86° | 56° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 13 | 68° – 75° |
| August | 84° | 55° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 12 | 66° – 74° |
| September | 79° | 48° | 2.8" | 0.0" | 7 | 58° – 67° |
| October | 69° | 37° | 1.5" | 0.6" | 5 | 50° – 58° |
| November | 58° | 26° | 0.7" | 3.7" | 4 | 34° – 48° |
| December | 48° | 20° | 0.6" | 7.3" | 4 | 29° – 39° |
| Year | 67° | 37° | 17.0" | 26.3" | 69 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 34° to 48°. July is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Tecolote’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 Tecolote’s center.
- Snow: Pecos Nm, NM.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Las Vegas Wwtp, NM, 8 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height; no station nearby passes every check; this is the nearest one in the same valley, flagged above.
- 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 Tecolote’s climate
What is the weather like in Tecolote?
A typical July afternoon reaches 86°, a January night drops to 20°, and about 26 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 58% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 58% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Tecolote in winter?
January nights average 20°. About 203 nights a year reach 32° or below and 10 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 28°.
How much snow does Tecolote get?
About 26 inches in a normal winter at Pecos Nm, NM, most of it in December.
How hot does it get in Tecolote?
July, with a typical high of 86° and a low of 56°. About 21 days a year reach 90° (Las Vegas Wwtp, NM).
When is the first and last frost in Tecolote?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 24 and the first fall frost by September 30, about 129 frost-free days, at Las Vegas Wwtp, NM.
What growing zone is Tecolote 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 Tecolote?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, August and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Tecolote getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.7° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 72% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Tecolote.
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.