Vanderwagen is drier than 94% of U.S. towns: 13 inches of precipitation a year
On a normal July day the thermometer tops out near 85°. Winter and summer sit 69° apart. In January, nights here are colder than in 79% of U.S. towns. Comfortable outdoor weather, highs of 77–83°, belongs to June, August and September.
A year in Vanderwagen at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Vanderwagen’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Vanderwagen’s place in New Mexico beside it.
What a year in Vanderwagen feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 127 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 29 and the first by October 2. Frost and day counts come from Zuni, NM, 15 miles away.
The 2023 USDA map puts Vanderwagen’s center in zone 6a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −8°. 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 21 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Gallup Sand & Gravel, NM, falls mostly in February and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 13 inches a year; August is the wettest month and June the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 68 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Vanderwagen
91% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. 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 Zuni, NM.
Living with Vanderwagen’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
127 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by May 29 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 2.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, August and September. 1.1 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Vanderwagen from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (48%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 30%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Vanderwagen and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Vanderwagen yet.
Climates most like Vanderwagen’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vanderwagen, NM | 16° | 85° | 13" | 21" |
| Hamilton, MT | 20° | 86° | 13" | 17" |
| Shelley, ID | 14° | 87° | 11" | 15" |
| Cimarron Hills, CO | 18° | 85° | 17" | 33" |
| Deschutes River Woods, OR | 24° | 84° | 13" | 22" |
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 Vanderwagen averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.4°).
A smaller shift than in 55% 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 Vanderwagen compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Vanderwagen’s place among New Mexico’s.
Vanderwagen weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Vanderwagen’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Gallup Sand & Gravel, NM. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 44° | 16° | 1.3" | 4.5" | 6 | 9 | 25° – 36° |
| February | 48° | 20° | 1.0" | 5.7" | 5 | 5 | 29° – 39° |
| March | 55° | 25° | 1.0" | 2.0" | 4 | 1 | 35° – 45° |
| April | 63° | 30° | 0.7" | 0.7" | 4 | 0 | 42° – 51° |
| May | 72° | 38° | 0.7" | 0.5" | 4 | 0 | 50° – 59° |
| June | 83° | 46° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 61° – 69° |
| July | 85° | 54° | 1.9" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 66° – 74° |
| August | 82° | 54° | 2.1" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 66° – 71° |
| September | 77° | 46° | 1.3" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 57° – 64° |
| October | 66° | 34° | 1.1" | 0.4" | 5 | 0 | 46° – 55° |
| November | 54° | 23° | 1.0" | 1.6" | 4 | 2 | 32° – 45° |
| December | 44° | 16° | 1.0" | 5.2" | 6 | 7 | 25° – 36° |
| Year | 64° | 33° | 13.4" | 20.6" | 68 | 24 |
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 45°. August is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Vanderwagen’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 Vanderwagen’s center.
- Snow: Gallup Sand & Gravel, NM.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Zuni, NM, 15 miles from the town’s center, 810 ft lower; no station nearby passes every check; this is the nearest one in the same valley, flagged above.
- 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 Vanderwagen’s climate
What is the weather like in Vanderwagen?
A typical July afternoon reaches 85°, a January night drops to 16°, and about 21 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 79% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 52% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Vanderwagen in winter?
December nights average 16°. About 194 nights a year reach 32° or below and 6 reach 0° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 25°.
How much snow does Vanderwagen get?
About 21 inches in a normal winter at Gallup Sand & Gravel, NM, most of it in February and December, with snow on the ground about 24 days a year.
How hot does it get in Vanderwagen?
July, with a typical high of 85° and a low of 54°. About 54 days a year reach 90° and 1 reach 100° (Zuni, NM).
When is the first and last frost in Vanderwagen?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 29 and the first fall frost by October 2, about 127 frost-free days, at Zuni, NM.
What growing zone is Vanderwagen in?
Zone 6a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −8°.
What is the best time of year to visit Vanderwagen?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), June, August and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Vanderwagen getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.3° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 55% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Vanderwagen.
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.