Twin Lakes sits near the bottom of U.S. towns for precipitation, with 10 inches a year
On a normal January night the air cools to about 18°. By July afternoons alone, it runs hotter than 74% of U.S. towns. Decade by decade the climate has edged up, 1.5° above 1901–2000. Plan time outside for May and September, when highs sit at 75–80°.
A year in Twin Lakes at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Twin Lakes’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Twin Lakes’ place in New Mexico beside it.
What a year in Twin Lakes feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 119 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 31 and the first by September 28. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Gallup Muni Airport, 12 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Twin Lakes’ center in zone 6b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −4°. 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 34 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Gallup Muni Airport, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 10 inches a year; August is the wettest month and June the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 73 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Twin Lakes
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 Gallup Muni Airport.
Living with Twin Lakes’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
119 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by May 31 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 28.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May and September. 17 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Twin Lakes from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (65%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 25%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Twin Lakes and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Twin Lakes yet.
Climates most like Twin Lakes’, 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 Lakes, NM | 18° | 89° | 10" | 34" |
| Cañon City, CO | 19° | 90° | 13" | 38" |
| Chubbuck, ID | 17° | 88° | 12" | 39" |
| Eagle Mountain, UT | 18° | 91° | 10" | 26" |
| Elko, NV | 15° | 90° | 10" | 41" |
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 Lakes averaged 1.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.9°).
A bigger shift than in 58% 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 Lakes compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Twin Lakes’ place among New Mexico’s.
Twin Lakes weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Twin Lakes’ center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Gallup Muni Airport. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 45° | 18° | 0.7" | 6.3" | 6 | 8 | 26° – 38° |
| February | 50° | 22° | 0.6" | 5.9" | 6 | 3 | 31° – 42° |
| March | 58° | 27° | 0.5" | 4.4" | 5 | 1 | 37° – 47° |
| April | 66° | 32° | 0.4" | 2.3" | 4 | 1 | 44° – 54° |
| May | 75° | 40° | 0.5" | 1.1" | 4 | 0 | 53° – 62° |
| June | 86° | 50° | 0.3" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 63° – 73° |
| July | 89° | 58° | 1.5" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 70° – 76° |
| August | 86° | 56° | 1.7" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 68° – 75° |
| September | 80° | 48° | 1.2" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 59° – 67° |
| October | 69° | 36° | 0.8" | 1.5" | 6 | 0 | 49° – 57° |
| November | 55° | 25° | 0.7" | 4.5" | 5 | 2 | 34° – 47° |
| December | 44° | 18° | 0.8" | 7.8" | 6 | 8 | 24° – 37° |
| Year | 67° | 36° | 9.6" | 33.8" | 73 | 23 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 34° to 47°. July is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Twin Lakes’ 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 Lakes’ center.
- Snow: Gallup Muni Airport.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Gallup Muni Airport, 12 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 Twin Lakes’ climate
What is the weather like in Twin Lakes?
A typical July afternoon reaches 89°, a January night drops to 18°, and about 34 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 68% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 74% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Twin Lakes in winter?
December nights average 18°. About 198 nights a year reach 32° or below and 8 reach 0° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 24°.
How much snow does Twin Lakes get?
About 34 inches in a normal winter at Gallup Muni Airport, most of it in December, with snow on the ground about 23 days a year.
How hot does it get in Twin Lakes?
July, with a typical high of 89° and a low of 58°. About 35 days a year reach 90° (Gallup Muni Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Twin Lakes?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 31 and the first fall frost by September 28, about 119 frost-free days, at Gallup Muni Airport.
What growing zone is Twin Lakes in?
Zone 6b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −4°.
What is the best time of year to visit Twin Lakes?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Twin Lakes getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.5° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 58% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Twin Lakes.
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.