Climate Comfort Score
49/100
Moderate
NOAA 1991–2020 normals 49°F annual avg Public-domain federal data
EL Rito, NM Climate
Annual temperature, rainfall, and a comfort score, sourced from NOAA NCEI's 1991–2020 normals →
- 49°F
- Avg annual temp
- 49/100
- Comfort score
- 11.7"
- Annual precip
- 145d
- Growing season
30-year climate normals from 1 weather station (1991-2020).
The climate verdict for EL Rito
EL Rito, New Mexico averages 49°F a year and scores 49/100 on the comfort index - moderate, milder than 18% of U.S. cities.
- 49°F
- yearly average temperature, NOAA normal
- 49/100
- comfort score, milder than 18% of U.S. cities
- 11.7"
- annual precipitation · 24" snow
- 145 days
- growing season, frost-free days
Based on NOAA U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020) - 30-year averages describing the typical year, not a forecast.
Avg Temperature
49°F (9°C)
Avg High
63°F
Avg Low
35°F
Annual Precip
11.7"
Annual Snow
23.9"
Comfort Score
49/100
Moderate
Avg Annual Temperature
49°F
30-year mean (NOAA NCEI)
Annual Precipitation
11.7"
Plus 23.9" of snow
Comfort score vs national 100-point ceiling (EL Rito) 49.0%
National median (63)
PlainClimate composite, temperature mildness, humidity, precipitation, extreme-weather frequency. Moderate for the EL Rito area.
How EL Rito compares to every U.S. city
EL Rito's comfort score vs. all U.S. cities
PlainClimate composite comfort index (1–100), NOAA 1991–2020 normals
49 Top 82% higher than 18% 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 EL Rito
MethodologyEL Rito'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 | 41°F (5°C) | 18°F (-8°C) | 30°F (-1°C) | 0.7" | 6.5" | 30.5 | 0.0 |
| February | 46°F (8°C) | 21°F (-6°C) | 33°F (1°C) | 0.5" | 3.6" | 26.5 | 0.0 |
| March | 54°F (12°C) | 26°F (-3°C) | 40°F (5°C) | 0.7" | 3.6" | 24.8 | 0.0 |
| April | 63°F (17°C) | 32°F (0°C) | 47°F (8°C) | 0.9" | 1.1" | 14.7 | 0.0 |
| May | 72°F (22°C) | 40°F (5°C) | 56°F (13°C) | 0.9" | 0.0" | 3.7 | 0.5 |
| June | 81°F (27°C) | 48°F (9°C) | 64°F (18°C) | 0.7" | 0.0" | 0.3 | 4.3 |
| July | 84°F (29°C) | 54°F (12°C) | 69°F (21°C) | 1.8" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 7.4 |
| August | 82°F (28°C) | 53°F (12°C) | 68°F (20°C) | 1.9" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 3.9 |
| September | 76°F (24°C) | 47°F (8°C) | 61°F (16°C) | 1.5" | 0.0" | 0.6 | 0.6 |
| October | 65°F (19°C) | 36°F (2°C) | 50°F (10°C) | 0.8" | 0.9" | 9.6 | 0.0 |
| November | 51°F (10°C) | 25°F (-4°C) | 38°F (3°C) | 0.6" | 1.5" | 25.8 | 0.0 |
| December | 41°F (5°C) | 19°F (-7°C) | 30°F (-1°C) | 0.8" | 6.7" | 30.4 | 0.0 |
Monthly Precipitation
Average monthly rainfall and snowfall
January 0.7"
Snow: 6.5"
5.5 days with precipitation
February 0.5"
Snow: 3.6"
3.7 days with precipitation
March 0.7"
Snow: 3.6"
4.9 days with precipitation
April 0.9"
Snow: 1.1"
4.3 days with precipitation
May 0.9"
4.7 days with precipitation
June 0.7"
5.0 days with precipitation
July 1.8"
9.1 days with precipitation
August 1.9"
9.5 days with precipitation
September 1.5"
6.2 days with precipitation
October 0.8"
Snow: 0.9"
4.7 days with precipitation
November 0.6"
Snow: 1.5"
3.8 days with precipitation
December 0.8"
Snow: 6.7"
3.8 days with precipitation
Frost Dates & Growing Season
First Fall Freeze
October 7
50% probability date
Last Spring Freeze
May 15
50% probability date
Growing Season
145 days
Heating & Cooling Degree Days
Annual totals indicate energy demand for heating and cooling
Heating Degree Days
6,150
Higher = more heating needed
Cooling Degree Days
311
Higher = more cooling needed
Warmest Month
July
Coldest Month
January
What EL Rito's climate means for you
EL Rito runs 49°F a year - peaking in July, coldest in January.
- Gardeners get about 145 frost-free days, with the last spring freeze near May 15 - plan the planting calendar around it, not the regional average.
- Energy bills track 6,150 heating and 311 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: EL Rito, NM
EL Rito, New Mexico runs an annual average of 49°F, ranging from a mean daily high of 63°F to a mean daily low of 35°F, per NOAA's 1991–2020 climate normals. July is typically the warmest month of the year, while January is the coldest. Drawn from station USC00292820, these thirty-year averages smooth out year-to-year swings into a baseline for what a typical month looks like here.
Rainfall (and snow, where it falls) shapes day-to-day life here as much as temperature does. EL Rito sees about 11.7 inches of precipitation a year, with 23.9 inches typically falling as snow. The frost-free season averages 145 days, which directly shapes the planting calendar and growing potential for the area, with the last spring freeze near May 15 and the first fall freeze near October 7. On the energy side, 6,150 heating degree days and 311 cooling degree days tell the story of how often furnaces and air conditioners run during a normal year.
On PlainClimate's composite comfort index, EL Rito scores 49/100 (Moderate), a blended measure that weighs temperature mildness, precipitation moderation, and extreme-weather frequency against one another. The monthly tables above are the practical planning tool: mild highs and lows land in the shoulder seasons, July-driven heat peaks in summer, and January-driven cold sets in over deep winter. These are thirty-year averages, not a forecast - any single year can run warmer, wetter, drier, or cooler than the normal.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average temperature in EL Rito, NM? ▼
The average annual temperature in EL Rito, New Mexico is 49°F. The warmest month averages 84°F (29°C) and the coldest averages 18°F (-8°C).
How much rain does EL Rito get? ▼
EL Rito receives 11.7 inches of precipitation annually, including 23.9 inches of snow. Based on NOAA 30-year climate normals (1991-2020).
What is the comfort score for EL Rito? ▼
EL Rito has a climate comfort score of 49/100 (Moderate), milder than 18% of U.S. cities in the PlainClimate database.
When is the growing season in EL Rito? ▼
EL Rito has approximately 145 frost-free days per year, with the last spring freeze around May 15 and the first fall freeze around October 7.
How much energy does heating and cooling require in EL Rito? ▼
EL Rito has 6,150 heating degree days and 311 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 EL Rito climate data come from? ▼
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals v1.0.1 (1991-2020), from weather station USC00292820 near EL Rito.
Data Sources
Data source: NOAA U.S. Climate Normals v1.0.1 (1991-2020). Station: USC00292820. 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.