Photo: Jeff Vincent · CC BY 2.0Truth or Consequences reaches 100° on about 11 days a year, more than 91% of U.S. towns
A typical July afternoon reaches 94°, a January night drops to 29°, and snow is almost unheard of.
A year in Truth or Consequences at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Truth or Consequences’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Truth or Consequences’ place in New Mexico beside it.
What a year in Truth or Consequences feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 230 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 22 and the first by November 9. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Truth Or Consequence Airport, 0.5 miles from the town’s center, 240 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Truth or Consequences’ center in zone 8b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 16°. 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 10 inches of rain a year
July is the wettest month and March the driest. Rain falls on about 45 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.9" in a normal year at Elephant Butte Dam, NM, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Truth or Consequences
62% of the work is heating. Months averaging under 55° run from November through March.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Truth Or Consequence Airport.
Living with Truth or Consequences’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
230 frost-free days in zone 8b. The last frost comes by Mar 22 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 9.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April and October. 46 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Truth or Consequences from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (91%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 4%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Truth or Consequences and its neighbors
Williamsburg has the coldest January nights next door (27°, 1° colder) and Williamsburg the hottest July afternoons (96°, 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 Truth or Consequences’, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Truth or Consequences, NM | 29° | 94° | 10" | 0.9" |
| Douglas, AZ | 31° | 94° | 13" | 0.5" |
| Andrews, TX | 30° | 95° | 15" | 1.7" |
| Fernley, NV | 25° | 93° | 6" | 4.5" |
| Hermiston, OR | 29° | 91° | 9" | 3.7" |
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 Truth or Consequences averaged 1.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.5°).
A bigger shift than in 75% 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 Truth or Consequences compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Truth or Consequences’ place among New Mexico’s.
Truth or Consequences weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Truth or Consequences’ center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Elephant Butte Dam, NM. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 56° | 29° | 0.4" | 0.2" | 3 | 0 | 37° – 47° |
| February | 62° | 33° | 0.3" | 0.3" | 2 | 0 | 42° – 53° |
| March | 69° | 38° | 0.3" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 49° – 59° |
| April | 77° | 44° | 0.3" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 55° – 66° |
| May | 86° | 53° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 66° – 75° |
| June | 95° | 63° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 74° – 83° |
| July | 94° | 67° | 2.0" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 77° – 84° |
| August | 92° | 65° | 2.0" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 75° – 83° |
| September | 86° | 58° | 1.6" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 67° – 76° |
| October | 77° | 47° | 0.9" | 0.1" | 4 | 0 | 59° – 66° |
| November | 65° | 36° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 44° – 59° |
| December | 55° | 29° | 0.6" | 0.3" | 3 | 0 | 36° – 47° |
| Year | 76° | 47° | 9.7" | 0.9" | 45 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 44° to 59°. July is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Truth or Consequences’ 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 Truth or Consequences’ center.
- Snow: Elephant Butte Dam, NM.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Truth Or Consequence Airport, 0.5 miles from the town’s center, 240 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 Truth or Consequences’ climate
What is the weather like in Truth or Consequences?
A typical July afternoon reaches 94°, a January night drops to 29°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 70% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 94% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Truth or Consequences in winter?
January nights average 29°. About 71 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 37°.
How much snow does Truth or Consequences get?
About 0.9 inches in a normal winter at Elephant Butte Dam, NM, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Truth or Consequences?
July, with a typical high of 94° and a low of 67°. About 88 days a year reach 90° and 11 reach 100° (Truth Or Consequence Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Truth or Consequences?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 22 and the first fall frost by November 9, about 230 frost-free days, at Truth Or Consequence Airport.
What growing zone is Truth or Consequences in?
Zone 8b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 16°.
What is the best time of year to visit Truth or Consequences?
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 Truth or Consequences getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.7° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 75% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Truth or Consequences.
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.