Carlsbad Caverns, NM Climate: Temperature & Rain by Month
Temperature and precipitation from NOAA NCEI 1991–2020 normals →, plus PlainClimate's derived comfort score
30-year climate normals (1991-2020) from Carlsbad Caverns's primary NOAA station, CARLSBAD CAVERNS.
The climate verdict for Carlsbad Caverns
Dryness leads the climate profile for Carlsbad Caverns, New Mexico, with 13.8 inches of precipitation a year. NOAA records an annual average of 63°F. It scores 83/100 for climate comfort (excellent), putting it in the top third of station-mapped location scores and exceeding 81% of them.
- 63°F
- average temperature, NOAA 1991-2020 normal
- 83/100
- comfort score, above 81% of station-mapped location scores
- 13.8"
- annual precipitation · 4" snow
- 223 days
- growing season, frost-free days
Carlsbad Caverns: NOAA 1991-2020 normals describe a typical year, not a forecast. Method: /methodology.
Normals record plate
Sheet USC00291480 · Carlsbad Caverns, NM 63°F mean · 13.8" precip
TEMP-MILD · RANK-UPPER · PHOTO-FINISH · PRCP-DRY · SWING-MID · COMF-TOP · LOAD-MIX · STN-1 · BOOK-FULL
- TEMP-MILD 63°F
- RANK-UPPER #5,626
- PHOTO-FINISH ≈ Alexander City
- PRCP-DRY 13.8"
- SWING-MID 35°F
- COMF-TOP 83/100
- LOAD-MIX H/C balanced
- STN-1 USC00291480
- BOOK-FULL 6/6 fields
Nearest mean-temperature peer: Alexander City, AL (+ 0 °F mean)
Instrument codes from this station's NOAA 1991–2020 normals, mean temperature, corpus warmth rank, photo-finish peer station, precipitation band, seasonal swing, comfort composite, degree-day load, and field book, not a livability rating.
Mean-temperature neighbourhood
Nationwide NOAA normal poles and nearest peers, not a reprint of every NM station list.
- Carlsbad Caverns (this station) 63°F
- Hot Calhoun City, MS 63°F
- Near Alexander City, AL 63°F
- Near Alpine, TX 63°F
- Near Bowie, TX 63°F
Climate Living Index · Carlsbad Caverns
Carlsbad Caverns: 71/100 · grade B
Carlsbad Caverns publishes 5 of 6 Living Index dimensions (NOAA annual/seasonal normals · NOAA daily multivariate normals); 1 missing weight rescale to 100.
PlainClimate-derived for Carlsbad Caverns, not an official NOAA rating. Rankings still use Comfort Score 83/100 (separate formula). Breakpoints and limits.
| Dimension | Station value | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Annual temperature balance | 62.8°F · 4.7° from 67.5°F | 86/100 · A |
| Normal heat + freeze calendar | 82 calendar days | 82/100 · B |
| Frost-free season | 223 days/year | 78/100 · B |
| Snowfall burden | 3.5 inches/year | 73/100 · B |
| Precipitation balance | 13.8 in · 21.2 from 35 in | 24/100 · F |
Carlsbad Caverns · 2026-08-04 · NOAA NCEI Climate Normals · method · Comfort Score method.
Carlsbad Caverns's normals sit in a dry climate class: BSk
Precipitation is low relative to temperature but above true desert thresholds: cold semi-arid steppe (BSk). Class BSk is the Peel et al. (2007) label for this station's monthly mean temperature and precipitation normals: dry (arid or semi-arid), specifically cold semi-arid steppe.
- Köppen code
- BSk
- Group
- Dry (arid or semi-arid)
- Warmest month
- 79.5°F
- Coldest month
- 44.9°F
Source: official public datasets monthly normals (1991–2020) at the city’s primary station. This is a station classification, not a mapped regional consensus.
National standing · balanced station
Where Carlsbad Caverns sits across the climate record
Three NOAA fields for Carlsbad Caverns's primary station, temperature, precipitation, and seasonal swing, are ranked against every station-mapped normal that carries the same field.
- Annual temperature
- Top 18% warmest
- Among 6,861 stations, Carlsbad Caverns sits in the warmer third of annual means.
- Annual precipitation
- Drier than 85%
- Carlsbad Caverns's annual total ranks in the drier third of 6,352 measured normals.
- Seasonal temperature swing
- Narrower than 83%
- Warmest-to-coldest month gap for Carlsbad Caverns is compact versus 6,861 complete station-years.
How Carlsbad Caverns compares across U.S. station-mapped locations
Carlsbad Caverns's comfort score vs. all station-mapped locations
PlainClimate composite comfort index (1–100), NOAA 1991–2020 normals
83 Top 19% score exceeds 81% of 6,189 station-mapped location scores
- 0–10: 0 station-mapped locations (0%). Below this entry.
- 10–20: 0 station-mapped locations (0%). Below this entry.
- 20–30: 96 station-mapped locations (2%). Below this entry.
- 30–40: 280 station-mapped locations (5%). Below this entry.
- 40–50: 1,113 station-mapped locations (18%). Below this entry.
- 50–60: 1,329 station-mapped locations (21%). Below this entry.
- 60–70: 1,236 station-mapped locations (20%). Below this entry.
- 70–80: 650 station-mapped locations (11%). Below this entry.
- 80–90: 921 station-mapped locations (15%). This entry sits in this band.
- 90–100: 564 station-mapped locations (9%). Above this entry.
Source NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, PlainClimate comfort index · 1991–2020
Carlsbad Caverns's measured station temperature trend
MethodologyAcross 36 complete annual observations from 1938 to 2019, CARLSBAD CAVERNS warmed at a fitted rate of 0.23°C per decade. The line shows the fitted change relative to its first year, not raw year-to-year temperatures or a forecast.
- Carlsbad Caverns primary station fitted change +0.23 °C/decade
Monthly Temperatures
Average daily high and low temperatures by month
| Month | Avg High | Avg Low | Mean | Precip | Snow | Freeze Days | 90°F+ Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 56°F (13°C) | 34°F (1°C) | 45°F (7°C) | 0.3" | 0.4" | 12.0 | 0.0 |
| February | 61°F (16°C) | 37°F (3°C) | 49°F (9°C) | 0.4" | 0.9" | 9.0 | 0.0 |
| March | 68°F (20°C) | 43°F (6°C) | 55°F (13°C) | 0.6" | 0.0" | 4.2 | 0.0 |
| April | 76°F (24°C) | 49°F (10°C) | 63°F (17°C) | 0.5" | 0.0" | 1.2 | 1.3 |
| May | 84°F (29°C) | 58°F (15°C) | 71°F (22°C) | 1.3" | 0.0" | 0.1 | 10.2 |
| June | 92°F (34°C) | 66°F (19°C) | 79°F (26°C) | 1.2" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 21.7 |
| July | 91°F (33°C) | 68°F (20°C) | 80°F (26°C) | 2.2" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 21.5 |
| August | 90°F (32°C) | 66°F (19°C) | 78°F (26°C) | 2.0" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 20.4 |
| September | 83°F (28°C) | 60°F (16°C) | 72°F (22°C) | 2.9" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 6.8 |
| October | 75°F (24°C) | 52°F (11°C) | 64°F (18°C) | 1.2" | 0.0" | 0.6 | 1.1 |
| November | 65°F (18°C) | 42°F (5°C) | 53°F (12°C) | 0.7" | 0.2" | 4.0 | 0.0 |
| December | 57°F (14°C) | 35°F (2°C) | 46°F (8°C) | 0.6" | 2.0" | 11.6 | 0.0 |
The year, day by day
The year in Carlsbad Caverns runs from a mild 33°F around January 3 to 93°F at the peak near June 18, and the normal low never reaches freezing on any date in the record.
When the heat sits
Normal highs reach 90°F from June 1 through August 21, covering 82 dates. The broader mild season, normal highs of 70°F or more, runs March 24 to November 1.
This counts calendar dates whose 1991–2020 normal high reaches 90°F. It is a smaller number than the 90°F+ day counts in the monthly table above, which measure how often the threshold was actually crossed in a typical year. A date can average 88°F and still exceed 90°F in half of all years.
No freezing date
Not one calendar date in the 1991–2020 record carries a normal low at or below 32°F. The coldest normal low of the year is 33°F around January 3.
Where the wet dates fall
The likeliest wet date is August 31, when 22% of years recorded at least a hundredth of an inch. The driest is April 18 at 7%. Summed across the calendar, that is about 50 wet dates a year.
The widest day
June 7 carries the biggest normal gap between afternoon and dawn, 27°F between the normal high and the normal low.
Look up any date
Any date's 1991–2020 normal for Carlsbad Caverns.
Where Carlsbad Caverns Stands Nationally
Heat is a defining feature of the normals calendar — the normal daily high reaches 90°F on roughly 82 days a year, more than four out of five ranked stations record.
A drier-than-most normal water year — around 14 inches, below what four out of five ranked stations collect.
Carlsbad Caverns earns 2 nationally notable standings (outer quintiles) against 6,860 NOAA 1991–2020 normals stations; only those extremes render.
Monthly Precipitation
Average monthly rainfall and snowfall
Snow: 0.4"
3.7 days with precipitation
Snow: 0.9"
2.7 days with precipitation
3.2 days with precipitation
2.3 days with precipitation
3.5 days with precipitation
4.8 days with precipitation
5.6 days with precipitation
6.4 days with precipitation
6.2 days with precipitation
5.1 days with precipitation
Snow: 0.2"
3.0 days with precipitation
Snow: 2.0"
3.2 days with precipitation
Carlsbad Caverns runs a summer-peaked wet season
39% of Carlsbad Caverns's yearly precipitation falls in June, July and August alone, against the 25% an evenly spread year would give those three months. The wettest month is September at 2.9", on a 34.6°F seasonal spread. Warm-season convection and, across the Southwest, the North American monsoon produce this shape: rain arrives in short heavy bursts during the hottest part of the year rather than as long cool-season soaking.
- Wettest three months: September, July, August, taking 52% of the annual total between them.
- Driest month: January at 0.3".
- Winter share: 9% falls in December, January and February.
Shares are computed from this station's own 1991-2020 monthly precipitation normals. A summer-peaked label means the June-August share reaches 35%; it describes timing across an average year, not any single season, and says nothing about how heavy an individual storm can be.
How Carlsbad Caverns's precipitation splits across the calendar
About 50 days a year record measurable precipitation here, carrying 13.8" between them, or roughly 0.28 inches on a typical wet day. That sits in the middle band: neither the many-light-days pattern of the Pacific Northwest and the Great Lakes, nor the few-heavy-events pattern of the Gulf and the desert Southwest.
A wet day is one recording at least 0.01 inches. These are 1991-2020 normals: they describe an average year and say nothing about the heaviest single storm on record.
Snow reaches Carlsbad Caverns, but rarely amounts to much
The normals record 3.5 inches of snow a year here, most likely in December. That is a real but marginal amount: enough that snow is part of the local record, not enough to define the winter.
A figure in this range usually reflects a handful of events that melt quickly rather than a season of accumulation; about 2 days a year record any measurable snow at all.
NOAA 1991-2020 normals. An average across thirty years can smooth away a single heavy winter, so a small annual figure does not mean a significant snowfall is impossible.
Frost Dates & Growing Season
First Fall Freeze
November 11
50% probability date
Last Spring Freeze
April 2
50% probability date
Growing Season
223 days
Heating & Cooling Degree Days
Annual totals indicate energy demand for heating and cooling
Heating Degree Days
2,677
Higher = more heating needed
Cooling Degree Days
1,917
Higher = more cooling needed
Warmest Month
July
Coldest Month
January
Nationwide similar cities
Other rankable U.S. places outside NM closest to Carlsbad Caverns on two NOAA annual-normal axes (mean temperature and annual precipitation). Chip rows use distinct link sets.
Closest by average temperature
Nearest out-of-state peers by annual mean temperature (63°F here).
- Alexander City, AL 63°F · 0.0°F off
- Alpine, TX 63°F · 0.0°F off
- Bowie, TX 63°F · 0.0°F off
- Calhoun City, MS 63°F · 0.0°F off
Closest by annual precipitation
Nearest out-of-state peers by annual precipitation (13.8" here), excluding temperature-peer places.
- Carter, MT 13.8" · 0.0" off
- Brigham City, UT 13.8" · 0.0" off
- Redondo Beach, CA 13.8" · 0.0" off
- Buffalo, WY 13.8" · 0.0" off
Scarce-water calendar
Where Carlsbad Caverns's limited precipitation lands
mixed demand · dry · mid swing
Local precipitation is sparse in this otherwise mixed profile. The station reports 13.8 inches annually, within PlainClimate's dry band. Annual snowfall totals 3.5 inches. The monthly distribution matters because the total alone does not reveal the timing.
July and January mark the typical warm and cold ends of the calendar in Carlsbad Caverns's middle-range seasonal profile. The measured spread is 34.6°F. The annual average is 63°F. Neither the annual mean nor one extreme month represents the full calendar on its own.
Heating and cooling both register in Carlsbad Caverns's normal, at 2,677 and 1,917 degree days respectively. Neither total exceeds the other by more than two to one, so the record is better read as a mixed-demand calendar than as heating-led or cooling-led.
A roughly 223-day frost-free season sits inside this mixed heating-and-cooling profile. Start and end dates matter because both sides of the thermostat register during a normal year.
Carlsbad Caverns wettest normal
September
September concentrates the scarce annual total (13.8 inches).
Carlsbad Caverns driest normal
January
January is typically driest; arid stations are defined by when water is absent, not by a four-season grid.
Questions about Carlsbad Caverns's climate
How dry is Carlsbad Caverns? ▼
How many days above 90°F does Carlsbad Caverns get? ▼
How much energy does heating and cooling require in Carlsbad Caverns? ▼
Data Sources
Data source: NOAA U.S. Climate Normals v1.0.1 (1991-2020). All figures on this page are from Carlsbad Caverns's primary station: CARLSBAD CAVERNS (USC00291480). For informational purposes only.
Place identity: U.S. Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer places. The conservative exact name-and-state crosswalk finds no Census place match, so PlainClimate treats this as a station-mapped location and does not claim it is a municipality. No exact Gazetteer row for Carlsbad Caverns; facility counts that depend on place identity are therefore an upper bound, not a municipal census.
On this page every temperature, precipitation, and derived score for Carlsbad Caverns comes from its primary NOAA station record. No figure on this page is typed in by an editor - each value is rendered from NOAA 1991-2020 U.S. Climate Normals. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 1991–2020 normals.