Tortugas reaches 100° on about 19 days a year, more than 95% of U.S. towns
A typical July afternoon reaches 96°, a January night drops to 29°, and about 1 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Tortugas at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Tortugas’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Tortugas’ place in New Mexico beside it.
What a year in Tortugas feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 241 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 12 and the first by November 13. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at State Univ, NM, 0.9 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Tortugas’ center in zone 8b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 17°. 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 1 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at State Univ, NM, falls mostly in January and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 9 inches a year; July is the wettest month and April the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 47 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Tortugas
57% of the work is heating. Months averaging under 55° run from November through February.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at State Univ, NM.
Living with Tortugas’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
241 frost-free days in zone 8b. The last frost comes by Mar 12 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Nov 13.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April and October.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Tortugas from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (91%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 2%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Tortugas and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Tortugas in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Tortugas’, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tortugas, NM | 29° | 96° | 9" | 1.0" |
| Kermit, TX | 30° | 98° | 12" | 1.9" |
| Douglas, AZ | 31° | 94° | 13" | 0.5" |
| Mojave, CA | 33° | 97° | 8" | 1.2" |
| Silver Springs, NV | 23° | 95° | 5" | 4.5" |
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 Tortugas averaged 1.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.6°).
A bigger shift than in 83% 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 Tortugas compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Tortugas’ place among New Mexico’s.
Tortugas weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Tortugas’ center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from State Univ, NM. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 58° | 29° | 0.5" | 0.4" | 3 | 0 | 39° – 48° |
| February | 64° | 33° | 0.4" | 0.1" | 3 | 0 | 43° – 53° |
| March | 72° | 39° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 51° – 61° |
| April | 79° | 45° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 57° – 67° |
| May | 88° | 54° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 68° – 75° |
| June | 97° | 64° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 76° – 84° |
| July | 96° | 68° | 2.0" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 78° – 86° |
| August | 94° | 67° | 1.7" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 77° – 85° |
| September | 89° | 60° | 1.4" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 69° – 78° |
| October | 80° | 48° | 0.8" | 0.1" | 4 | 0 | 61° – 68° |
| November | 68° | 36° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 46° – 58° |
| December | 58° | 29° | 0.6" | 0.4" | 3 | 0 | 38° – 47° |
| Year | 78° | 48° | 9.2" | 1.0" | 47 | 1 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 46° to 58°. October is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Tortugas’ 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 Tortugas’ center.
- Snow: State Univ, NM (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: State Univ, NM, 0.9 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height; 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 Tortugas’ climate
What is the weather like in Tortugas?
A typical July afternoon reaches 96°, a January night drops to 29°, and about 1 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 71% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 97% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Tortugas in winter?
January nights average 29°. About 69 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 39°.
How much snow does Tortugas get?
About 1.0 inches in a normal winter at State Univ, NM, most of it in January and December, with snow on the ground about 1 days a year.
How hot does it get in Tortugas?
July, with a typical high of 96° and a low of 68°. About 109 days a year reach 90° and 19 reach 100° (State Univ, NM).
When is the first and last frost in Tortugas?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 12 and the first fall frost by November 13, about 241 frost-free days, at State Univ, NM.
What growing zone is Tortugas in?
Zone 8b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 17°.
What is the best time of year to visit Tortugas?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), April and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Tortugas getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 83% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Tortugas.
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.