Launch Complex 33 · Photo: NASA · Public domainWhite Sands reaches 100° on about 19 days a year, more than 95% of U.S. towns
A typical July afternoon reaches 95°, a January night drops to 28°, and about 1 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in White Sands at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about White Sands’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with White Sands’ place in New Mexico beside it.
What a year in White Sands feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 241 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 12 and the first by November 13. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at State Univ, NM, 18 miles from the town’s center, 370 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts White Sands’ 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 1 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at State Univ, NM, falls mostly in January and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 10 inches a year; July is the wettest month and April the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 47 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in White Sands
57% 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 State Univ, NM.
Living with White Sands’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
241 frost-free days in zone 8b. The last frost comes by Mar 12 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 13.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April and October. 5.9 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in White Sands from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (79%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 8%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →White Sands and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around White Sands yet.
Climates most like White Sands’, 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 Sands, NM | 28° | 95° | 10" | 1.0" |
| Douglas, AZ | 31° | 94° | 13" | 0.5" |
| Andrews, TX | 30° | 95° | 15" | 1.7" |
| Fernley, NV | 25° | 93° | 6" | 4.5" |
| Mojave, CA | 33° | 97° | 8" | 1.2" |
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 Sands averaged 1.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.7°).
A bigger shift than in 87% 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 Sands compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with White Sands’ place among New Mexico’s.
White Sands weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at White Sands’ center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from State Univ, NM. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 57° | 28° | 0.5" | 0.4" | 3 | 0 | 38° – 46° |
| February | 62° | 32° | 0.4" | 0.1" | 3 | 0 | 42° – 52° |
| March | 70° | 38° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 50° – 59° |
| April | 78° | 45° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 56° – 66° |
| May | 86° | 53° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 67° – 74° |
| June | 95° | 63° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 74° – 83° |
| July | 95° | 67° | 2.0" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 77° – 85° |
| August | 93° | 66° | 1.8" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 76° – 84° |
| September | 87° | 59° | 1.5" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 68° – 77° |
| October | 78° | 47° | 0.9" | 0.1" | 4 | 0 | 60° – 67° |
| November | 66° | 35° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 45° – 57° |
| December | 56° | 28° | 0.6" | 0.4" | 3 | 0 | 38° – 46° |
| Year | 77° | 47° | 9.5" | 1.0" | 47 | 1 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 45° to 57°. October is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where White Sands’ 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 Sands’ center.
- Snow: State Univ, NM.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: State Univ, NM, 18 miles from the town’s center, 370 ft lower; 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 Sands’ climate
What is the weather like in White Sands?
A typical July afternoon reaches 95°, a January night drops to 28°, and about 1 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 69% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 94% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in White Sands in winter?
January nights average 28°. About 69 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 38°.
How much snow does White Sands get?
About 1.0 inches in a normal winter at State Univ, NM, most of it in January and December, with snow on the ground about 1 days a year.
How hot does it get in White Sands?
July, with a typical high of 95° and a low of 67°. About 109 days a year reach 90° and 19 reach 100° (State Univ, NM).
When is the first and last frost in White Sands?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 12 and the first fall frost by November 13, about 241 frost-free days, at State Univ, NM.
What growing zone is White Sands 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 White Sands?
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 White Sands getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 87% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in White Sands.
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.