Twin Forks’ winters are milder but snowier than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 75°, a January night drops to 23°, and about 67 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Twin Forks at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Twin Forks’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Twin Forks’ place in New Mexico beside it.
What a year in Twin Forks feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 134 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 18 and the first by October 1. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Cloudcroft, NM, 5 miles from the town’s center, 430 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Twin Forks’ 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°
About 67 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Cloudcroft, NM, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 22 inches a year; July is the wettest month and April the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 94 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Twin Forks
Nearly all of the work is heating: a normal year has almost no cooling days. Months averaging under 55° run from October through May.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Cloudcroft, NM.
Living with Twin Forks’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
134 frost-free days in zone 7a. The last frost comes by May 18 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 1.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 3.0 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Twin Forks from natural hazards, wildfire is the largest share (73%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 1%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Twin Forks and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Twin Forks yet.
Climates most like Twin Forks’, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Twin Forks, NM | 23° | 75° | 22" | 67" |
| Big Bear Lake, CA | 25° | 80° | 24" | 59" |
| Alpena, MI | 14° | 78° | 31" | 59" |
| Porter, NY | 21° | 79° | 33" | 55" |
| Sturgeon Bay, WI | 13° | 77° | 32" | 57" |
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 Twin Forks averaged 1.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+3.1°).
A bigger shift than in 86% 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 Twin Forks compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Twin Forks’ place among New Mexico’s.
Twin Forks weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Twin Forks’ center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Cloudcroft, NM. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 44° | 23° | 1.2" | 13.1" | 6 | 29° – 37° |
| February | 47° | 24° | 1.0" | 13.3" | 6 | 30° – 40° |
| March | 53° | 28° | 1.1" | 9.8" | 6 | 37° – 46° |
| April | 60° | 34° | 0.8" | 3.7" | 4 | 42° – 52° |
| May | 68° | 40° | 1.1" | 0.1" | 5 | 50° – 59° |
| June | 77° | 48° | 1.7" | 0.0" | 9 | 58° – 66° |
| July | 75° | 51° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 17 | 59° – 67° |
| August | 73° | 50° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 16 | 59° – 65° |
| September | 69° | 45° | 2.7" | 0.0" | 10 | 54° – 60° |
| October | 62° | 37° | 1.8" | 3.2" | 6 | 46° – 54° |
| November | 52° | 28° | 0.9" | 7.3" | 4 | 33° – 46° |
| December | 45° | 23° | 1.6" | 16.3" | 6 | 28° – 39° |
| Year | 60° | 36° | 21.9" | 66.8" | 94 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 33° to 46°. August is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Twin Forks’ 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 Twin Forks’ center.
- Snow: Cloudcroft, NM.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Cloudcroft, NM, 5 miles from the town’s center, 430 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 Twin Forks’ climate
What is the weather like in Twin Forks?
A typical July afternoon reaches 75°, a January night drops to 23°, and about 67 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 54% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 98% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Twin Forks in winter?
January nights average 23°. About 172 nights a year reach 32° or below and 1 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 29°.
How much snow does Twin Forks get?
About 67 inches in a normal winter at Cloudcroft, NM, most of it in December.
How hot does it get in Twin Forks?
July, with a typical high of 75°. 90° days are rare: none in a normal year at Cloudcroft, NM.
When is the first and last frost in Twin Forks?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 18 and the first fall frost by October 1, about 134 frost-free days, at Cloudcroft, NM.
What growing zone is Twin Forks 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 Twin Forks?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June, July, August and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Twin Forks getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 86% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Twin Forks.
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.