Herman's, Roy T., Garage and Service Station · Photo: Bill Eichelberger · CC BY-SA 4.0Hardly any U.S. towns collect less precipitation than Thoreau: 11 inches a year
The depth of winter brings overnight lows near 16°. A year here swings 69° from midwinter lows to midsummer highs. In January, nights here are colder than in 81% of U.S. towns. Tender plants can go out after about May 29; in half of years the first frost comes by September 26.
A year in Thoreau at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Thoreau’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Thoreau’s place in New Mexico beside it.
What a year in Thoreau feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 118 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 29 and the first by September 26. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Thoreau 12 Se, NM, 9 miles from the town’s center, 160 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Thoreau’s center in zone 6a: 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 31 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Thoreau 12 Se, NM, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 11 inches a year; August is the wettest month and April the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 63 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Thoreau
93% 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 Thoreau 12 Se, NM.
Living with Thoreau’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
118 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by May 29 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 26.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, August and September. 62 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Thoreau from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (58%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 28%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Thoreau and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Thoreau yet.
Climates most like Thoreau’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thoreau, NM | 16° | 85° | 11" | 31" |
| Helena Valley Southeast, MT | 15° | 85° | 12" | 37" |
| Cody, WY | 14° | 85° | 11" | 45" |
| Cimarron Hills, CO | 18° | 85° | 17" | 33" |
| Chubbuck, ID | 17° | 88° | 12" | 39" |
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 Thoreau averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.5°).
A smaller 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 Thoreau compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Thoreau’s place among New Mexico’s.
Thoreau weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Thoreau’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Thoreau 12 Se, NM. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 43° | 16° | 0.8" | 8.9" | 5 | 24° – 35° |
| February | 46° | 20° | 0.6" | 5.9" | 4 | 28° – 39° |
| March | 55° | 25° | 0.6" | 2.3" | 3 | 35° – 44° |
| April | 62° | 31° | 0.5" | 1.4" | 3 | 42° – 51° |
| May | 72° | 39° | 0.6" | 1.1" | 3 | 51° – 60° |
| June | 83° | 49° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 3 | 61° – 70° |
| July | 85° | 55° | 2.1" | 0.0" | 10 | 66° – 73° |
| August | 82° | 53° | 2.2" | 0.0" | 12 | 65° – 71° |
| September | 76° | 46° | 1.3" | 0.0" | 7 | 56° – 64° |
| October | 66° | 34° | 0.9" | 1.1" | 5 | 46° – 54° |
| November | 53° | 23° | 0.6" | 3.4" | 3 | 31° – 44° |
| December | 43° | 16° | 0.7" | 6.5" | 4 | 25° – 36° |
| Year | 64° | 34° | 11.4" | 30.6" | 63 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 31° to 44°. August is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Thoreau’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 Thoreau’s center.
- Snow: Thoreau 12 Se, NM.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Thoreau 12 Se, NM, 9 miles from the town’s center, 160 ft higher; 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 Thoreau’s climate
What is the weather like in Thoreau?
A typical July afternoon reaches 85°, a January night drops to 16°, and about 31 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 81% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 53% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Thoreau in winter?
December nights average 16°. About 205 nights a year reach 32° or below and 12 reach 0° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 25°.
How much snow does Thoreau get?
About 31 inches in a normal winter at Thoreau 12 Se, NM, most of it in January.
How hot does it get in Thoreau?
July, with a typical high of 85° and a low of 55°. About 13 days a year reach 90° (Thoreau 12 Se, NM).
When is the first and last frost in Thoreau?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 29 and the first fall frost by September 26, about 118 frost-free days, at Thoreau 12 Se, NM.
What growing zone is Thoreau in?
Zone 6a 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 Thoreau?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), June, August and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Thoreau getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.3° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 54% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Thoreau.
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.