Dry weather: only 14 inches of rain and melted snow a year in Thunder Mountain, less than in 94% of U.S. towns
January nights here settle around 18°. Only 68° separates winter nights from summer afternoons. Winter nights are cold: in January they are colder than in 70% of U.S. towns. For walks and days out, May, August and September bring highs of 74–83°.
A year in Thunder Mountain at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Thunder Mountain’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Thunder Mountain’s place in New Mexico beside it.
What a year in Thunder Mountain feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 152 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 9 and the first by October 9. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Sandia Park, NM, 11 miles from the town’s center, 270 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Thunder Mountain’s center in zone 7a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 0°. 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 29 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Golden, NM, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 14 inches a year; July is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 62 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Thunder Mountain
95% 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 Sandia Park, NM.
Living with Thunder Mountain’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
152 frost-free days in zone 7a. The last frost comes by May 9 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 9.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, August and September. 2.6 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Thunder Mountain from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (72%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 3%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Thunder Mountain and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Thunder Mountain in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Thunder Mountain’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunder Mountain, NM | 18° | 86° | 14" | 29" |
| Cimarron Hills, CO | 18° | 85° | 17" | 33" |
| Show Low, AZ | 19° | 86° | 15" | 19" |
| Missoula, MT | 18° | 86° | 14" | 43" |
| Chubbuck, ID | 17° | 88° | 12" | 39" |
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 Thunder Mountain averaged 1.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+3.1°).
A bigger shift than in 81% 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 Thunder Mountain compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Thunder Mountain’s place among New Mexico’s.
Thunder Mountain weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Thunder Mountain’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Golden, NM. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 44° | 18° | 0.7" | 5.6" | 5 | 25° – 36° |
| February | 49° | 22° | 0.6" | 2.5" | 4 | 30° – 40° |
| March | 57° | 27° | 0.8" | 6.2" | 5 | 38° – 47° |
| April | 65° | 32° | 0.7" | 1.2" | 4 | 44° – 53° |
| May | 74° | 41° | 0.9" | 0.0" | 4 | 53° – 63° |
| June | 85° | 49° | 1.0" | 0.0" | 4 | 63° – 71° |
| July | 86° | 55° | 2.6" | 0.0" | 10 | 67° – 74° |
| August | 83° | 53° | 2.5" | 0.0" | 9 | 66° – 72° |
| September | 77° | 46° | 1.5" | 0.0" | 6 | 56° – 65° |
| October | 66° | 35° | 1.3" | 1.1" | 5 | 48° – 55° |
| November | 53° | 25° | 0.7" | 3.9" | 4 | 32° – 46° |
| December | 44° | 18° | 1.0" | 8.1" | 5 | 25° – 36° |
| Year | 65° | 35° | 14.3" | 28.6" | 62 |
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 Thunder Mountain’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 Thunder Mountain’s center.
- Snow: Golden, NM.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Sandia Park, NM, 11 miles from the town’s center, 270 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 Thunder Mountain’s climate
What is the weather like in Thunder Mountain?
A typical July afternoon reaches 86°, a January night drops to 18°, and about 29 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 70% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 55% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Thunder Mountain in winter?
December nights average 18°. About 171 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 25°.
How much snow does Thunder Mountain get?
About 29 inches in a normal winter at Golden, NM, most of it in December.
How hot does it get in Thunder Mountain?
July, with a typical high of 86° and a low of 55°. About 8 days a year reach 90° (Sandia Park, NM).
When is the first and last frost in Thunder Mountain?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 9 and the first fall frost by October 9, about 152 frost-free days, at Sandia Park, NM.
What growing zone is Thunder Mountain in?
Zone 7a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 0°.
What is the best time of year to visit Thunder Mountain?
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 Thunder Mountain getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.8° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 81% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Thunder Mountain.
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.