Climate Comfort Score
73/100
Good
NOAA 1991–2020 normals 59°F annual avg Public-domain federal data
Bitter Lakes WL Refuge, NM Climate
Pulled from NOAA NCEI 1991–2020 normals →: average temperature, precipitation, and comfort score
- 59°F
- Avg annual temp
- 73/100
- Comfort score
- 13.3"
- Annual precip
- 183d
- Growing season
30-year climate normals from 1 weather station (1991-2020).
The climate verdict for Bitter Lakes WL Refuge
Bitter Lakes WL Refuge, New Mexico averages 59°F a year and scores 73/100 on the comfort index - good, milder than 68% of U.S. cities.
- 59°F
- annual average temperature (NOAA normal)
- 73/100
- comfort score, milder than 68% of U.S. cities
- 13.3"
- annual precipitation · 4" snow
- 183 days
- frost-free growing season
Based on NOAA U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020) - 30-year averages describing the typical year, not a forecast.
Avg Temperature
59°F (15°C)
Avg High
77°F
Avg Low
42°F
Annual Precip
13.3"
Annual Snow
3.6"
Comfort Score
73/100
Good
Avg Annual Temperature
59°F
30-year mean (NOAA NCEI)
Annual Precipitation
13.3"
Plus 3.6" of snow
Comfort score vs national 100-point ceiling (Bitter Lakes WL Refuge) 73.0%
National median (63)
PlainClimate composite, temperature mildness, humidity, precipitation, extreme-weather frequency. Good for the Bitter Lakes WL Refuge area.
How Bitter Lakes WL Refuge compares to every U.S. city
Bitter Lakes WL Refuge's comfort score vs. all U.S. cities
PlainClimate composite comfort index (1–100), NOAA 1991–2020 normals
73 Top 32% higher than 68% of 6,915 US cities
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, PlainClimate comfort index · 1991–2020
Warming context for Bitter Lakes WL Refuge
MethodologyBitter Lakes WL Refuge's NOAA 1991-2020 normal sits inside a longer story: U.S. land temperatures have been tracking (and drifting from) the global mean since 1900, and the chart below shows that spread, with the most recent decade running warmer than the 30-year mean.
- United States land mean (NOAA NCEI) +0.11 °C/decade
- Global anomaly (NASA GISTEMP) +0.11 °C/decade
- Paris Agreement thresholds 1.5°C / 2.0°C
Monthly Temperatures
Average daily high and low temperatures by month
| Month | Avg High | Avg Low | Mean | Precip | Snow | Freeze Days | 90°F+ Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 57°F (14°C) | 21°F (-6°C) | 39°F (4°C) | 0.3" | 1.2" | 28.3 | 0.0 |
| February | 62°F (17°C) | 26°F (-4°C) | 44°F (7°C) | 0.4" | 0.4" | 22.5 | 0.0 |
| March | 70°F (21°C) | 32°F (0°C) | 51°F (11°C) | 0.6" | 0.0" | 15.9 | 0.4 |
| April | 78°F (26°C) | 41°F (5°C) | 60°F (15°C) | 0.6" | 0.0" | 5.0 | 3.5 |
| May | 87°F (30°C) | 50°F (10°C) | 68°F (20°C) | 1.5" | 0.0" | 0.2 | 14.5 |
| June | 95°F (35°C) | 60°F (15°C) | 78°F (25°C) | 1.4" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 24.7 |
| July | 96°F (35°C) | 64°F (18°C) | 80°F (27°C) | 2.3" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 27.3 |
| August | 94°F (34°C) | 63°F (17°C) | 78°F (26°C) | 1.7" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 26.0 |
| September | 87°F (31°C) | 55°F (13°C) | 71°F (22°C) | 1.8" | 0.0" | 0.2 | 14.2 |
| October | 77°F (25°C) | 42°F (5°C) | 59°F (15°C) | 1.5" | 0.4" | 5.1 | 3.4 |
| November | 65°F (18°C) | 29°F (-2°C) | 47°F (8°C) | 0.5" | 0.6" | 20.5 | 0.0 |
| December | 56°F (14°C) | 21°F (-6°C) | 39°F (4°C) | 0.5" | 1.0" | 28.0 | 0.0 |
Monthly Precipitation
Average monthly rainfall and snowfall
January 0.3"
Snow: 1.2"
3.4 days with precipitation
February 0.4"
Snow: 0.4"
2.9 days with precipitation
March 0.6"
3.4 days with precipitation
April 0.6"
2.6 days with precipitation
May 1.5"
4.3 days with precipitation
June 1.4"
5.3 days with precipitation
July 2.3"
5.9 days with precipitation
August 1.7"
6.4 days with precipitation
September 1.8"
6.3 days with precipitation
October 1.5"
Snow: 0.4"
5.5 days with precipitation
November 0.5"
Snow: 0.6"
3.4 days with precipitation
December 0.5"
Snow: 1.0"
3.7 days with precipitation
Frost Dates & Growing Season
First Fall Freeze
October 20
50% probability date
Last Spring Freeze
April 20
50% probability date
Growing Season
183 days
Heating & Cooling Degree Days
Annual totals indicate energy demand for heating and cooling
Heating Degree Days
3,659
Higher = more heating needed
Cooling Degree Days
1,659
Higher = more cooling needed
Warmest Month
July
Coldest Month
December
What Bitter Lakes WL Refuge's climate means for you
Bitter Lakes WL Refuge runs 59°F a year - peaking in July, coldest in December.
- Gardeners get about 183 frost-free days, with the last spring freeze near April 20 - plan the planting calendar around it, not the regional average.
- Energy bills track 3,659 heating and 1,659 cooling degree days a year, higher means the furnace or AC runs more.
- Comparing places to live? Line this city up against nearby cities and the national rankings. See rankings
These are 30-year NOAA normals (1991–2020) - the typical year, not a forecast for any specific season.
Climate Guides
Climate Insight: Bitter Lakes WL Refuge, NM
In Bitter Lakes WL Refuge, New Mexico, the NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals put the annual average temperature at 59°F, ranging from a mean daily high of 77°F to a mean daily low of 42°F. July is typically the warmest month of the year, while December is the coldest. As thirty-year averages computed from station USC00290992, these numbers smooth out year-to-year noise into a working baseline for a typical month.
Anyone planning to live, garden, or travel in Bitter Lakes WL Refuge should weigh precipitation alongside temperature: the annual average runs 13.3 inches, with 3.6 inches typically falling as snow. The frost-free season averages 183 days, which directly shapes the planting calendar and growing potential for the area, with the last spring freeze near April 20 and the first fall freeze near October 20. And on the energy front, 3,659 heating degree days and 1,659 cooling degree days tell the story of how often furnaces and air conditioners run during a normal year.
On PlainClimate's composite comfort index, Bitter Lakes WL Refuge scores 73/100 (Good), a blended measure that weighs temperature mildness, precipitation moderation, and extreme-weather frequency against one another. Use the monthly tables above to plan around specific windows, shoulder seasons for mild highs and lows, peak summer for July-driven heat, or deep winter for December-driven cold. All figures here are thirty-year averages: any single year may run warmer, wetter, drier, or cooler than the normal, so treat them as planning guidance rather than forecasts.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average temperature in Bitter Lakes WL Refuge, NM? ▼
The average annual temperature in Bitter Lakes WL Refuge, New Mexico is 59°F. The warmest month averages 96°F (35°C) and the coldest averages 21°F (-6°C).
How much rain does Bitter Lakes WL Refuge get? ▼
Bitter Lakes WL Refuge receives 13.3 inches of precipitation annually, including 3.6 inches of snow. Based on NOAA 30-year climate normals (1991-2020).
What is the comfort score for Bitter Lakes WL Refuge? ▼
Bitter Lakes WL Refuge has a climate comfort score of 73/100 (Good), milder than 68% of U.S. cities in the PlainClimate database.
When is the growing season in Bitter Lakes WL Refuge? ▼
Bitter Lakes WL Refuge has approximately 183 frost-free days per year, with the last spring freeze around April 20 and the first fall freeze around October 20.
How much energy does heating and cooling require in Bitter Lakes WL Refuge? ▼
Bitter Lakes WL Refuge has 3,659 heating degree days and 1,659 cooling degree days annually, a heating-dominated climate. See our <a href="/guides/reading-weather-data/" class="underline hover:text-brand-600">guide to reading weather data</a> for what these figures mean.
Where does this Bitter Lakes WL Refuge climate data come from? ▼
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals v1.0.1 (1991-2020), from weather station USC00290992 near Bitter Lakes WL Refuge.
Data Sources
Data source: NOAA U.S. Climate Normals v1.0.1 (1991-2020). Station: USC00290992. For informational purposes only.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Related
Data sourced from official public datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainClimate Editorial
Every figure on PlainClimate is rendered directly from NOAA 1991-2020 U.S. Climate Normals data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on NOAA 1991-2020 U.S. Climate Normals data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.