Photo: AllenS · Public domainWhite Rock’s winters are colder but less snowy than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 89°, a January night drops to 18°, and about 20 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in White Rock at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about White Rock’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with White Rock’s place in New Mexico beside it.
What a year in White Rock feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 164 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 4 and the first by October 15. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Santa Fe Co Muni Airport, 15 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts White Rock’s center in zone 7b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 6°. 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 20 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Santa Fe 2, NM, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 13 inches a year; August is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 64 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in White Rock
89% 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 Santa Fe Co Muni Airport.
Living with White Rock’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
164 frost-free days in zone 7b. The last frost comes by May 4 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 15.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May and September. 51 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in White Rock from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (60%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 4%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →White Rock and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around White Rock yet.
Climates most like White Rock’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| White Rock, NM | 18° | 89° | 13" | 20" |
| Rupert, ID | 20° | 89° | 10" | 21" |
| Richfield, UT | 16° | 90° | 11" | 18" |
| Montrose, CO | 15° | 90° | 10" | 22" |
| Snowflake, AZ | 20° | 90° | 10" | 13" |
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 White Rock averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.7°).
A bigger shift than in 52% 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 White Rock compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with White Rock’s place among New Mexico’s.
White Rock weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at White Rock’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Santa Fe 2, NM. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 45° | 18° | 0.6" | 3.7" | 3 | 3 | 26° – 38° |
| February | 51° | 23° | 0.6" | 2.4" | 4 | 2 | 31° – 42° |
| March | 60° | 28° | 0.6" | 3.9" | 4 | 1 | 40° – 49° |
| April | 67° | 34° | 0.7" | 0.4" | 4 | 0 | 46° – 56° |
| May | 77° | 43° | 1.0" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 55° – 66° |
| June | 87° | 52° | 0.9" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 65° – 74° |
| July | 89° | 58° | 2.1" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 70° – 78° |
| August | 86° | 56° | 2.2" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 68° – 75° |
| September | 81° | 48° | 1.6" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 59° – 68° |
| October | 69° | 36° | 1.1" | 1.3" | 5 | 0 | 49° – 57° |
| November | 55° | 26° | 0.6" | 1.7" | 4 | 1 | 33° – 47° |
| December | 45° | 18° | 0.7" | 6.8" | 4 | 3 | 26° – 36° |
| Year | 68° | 37° | 12.6" | 20.2" | 64 | 9 |
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 47°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where White Rock’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 White Rock’s center.
- Snow: Santa Fe 2, NM.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Santa Fe Co Muni Airport, 15 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 White Rock’s climate
What is the weather like in White Rock?
A typical July afternoon reaches 89°, a January night drops to 18°, and about 20 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 70% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 73% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in White Rock in winter?
January nights average 18°. About 153 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 26°.
How much snow does White Rock get?
About 20 inches in a normal winter at Santa Fe 2, NM, most of it in December, with snow on the ground about 9 days a year.
How hot does it get in White Rock?
July, with a typical high of 89° and a low of 58°. About 41 days a year reach 90° (Santa Fe Co Muni Airport).
When is the first and last frost in White Rock?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 4 and the first fall frost by October 15, about 164 frost-free days, at Santa Fe Co Muni Airport.
What growing zone is White Rock in?
Zone 7b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 6°.
What is the best time of year to visit White Rock?
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 White Rock getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 52% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in White Rock.
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.