El Vado Dam, New Mexico climate: Climate normals at a NOAA weather station
El Vado Dam's normal year runs from 9°F January nights to 85°F July afternoons, with 14.1 inches of precipitation and 36 inches of snow a year. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a yearly mean of 7.1°C, January lows of −13°C, July highs of 29°C, 359 mm of precipitation a year.
- NOAA stationEl Vado Dam
- Station IDUSC00292837
- Location36.59°N 106.73°W
- Elevation6,740 ft (2,054 m)
On October 23, the normal high in El Vado Dam is 61°F and the normal low 25°F, and the chance of measurable rain or snow is 20%.
Normals describe a typical year at the station, not a forecast. The National Weather Service forecast for El Vado Dam.
- Jan 40° 9°
- Feb 43° 14°
- Mar 52° 21°
- Apr 59° 25°
- May 69° 33°
- Jun 80° 40°
- Jul 85° 49°
- Aug 82° 48°
- Sep 76° 39°
- Oct 64° 28°
- Nov 51° 18°
- Dec 40° 10°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
What is the weather like at El Vado Dam each month?
July is the warmest month, with normal highs of 85°F; January the coldest, with normal lows of 9°F. The most precipitation falls in August (2.16 in), the least in June (0.70 in).
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Precip. | Snow | Wet days | 90°F days | Freezing nights | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 40°F | 9°F | 24.2°F | 0.86 | 10.4 | 6 | <1 | 31 | 9 h 50 min |
| February | 43°F | 14°F | 28.8°F | 0.88 | 7.3 | 6 | <1 | 28 | 10 h 50 min |
| March | 52°F | 21°F | 36.3°F | 0.80 | 2.2 | 6 | <1 | 29 | 11 h 50 min |
| April | 59°F | 25°F | 42.4°F | 1.08 | 2.2 | 7 | <1 | 25 | 13 h 10 min |
| May | 69°F | 33°F | 51.0°F | 1.04 | 0.0 | 7 | <1 | 15 | 14 h 10 min |
| June | 80°F | 40°F | 60.3°F | 0.70 | 0.0 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 14 h 40 min |
| July | 85°F | 49°F | 66.7°F | 1.84 | 0.0 | 12 | 9 | <1 | 14 h 30 min |
| August | 82°F | 48°F | 64.7°F | 2.16 | 0.0 | 11 | 4 | <1 | 13 h 40 min |
| September | 76°F | 39°F | 57.1°F | 1.67 | 0.0 | 8 | 1 | 6 | 12 h 30 min |
| October | 64°F | 28°F | 45.8°F | 1.33 | 0.7 | 6 | <1 | 23 | 11 h 20 min |
| November | 51°F | 18°F | 34.4°F | 0.83 | 3.3 | 6 | <1 | 28 | 10 h 20 min |
| December | 40°F | 10°F | 25.3°F | 0.94 | 9.6 | 6 | <1 | 31 | 9 h 40 min |
| Year (annual) | 62°F | 28°F | 44.7°F | 14.13 | 35.7 | 84 | 17 | 218 |
The same normals in °C and millimetres
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Precip. | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 4°C | −13°C | −4.3°C | 22 mm | 26 cm |
| February | 6°C | −10°C | −1.8°C | 22 mm | 19 cm |
| March | 11°C | −6°C | 2.4°C | 20 mm | 6 cm |
| April | 15°C | −4°C | 5.8°C | 27 mm | 6 cm |
| May | 21°C | 0°C | 10.6°C | 26 mm | 0 cm |
| June | 27°C | 5°C | 15.7°C | 18 mm | 0 cm |
| July | 29°C | 9°C | 19.3°C | 47 mm | 0 cm |
| August | 28°C | 9°C | 18.2°C | 55 mm | 0 cm |
| September | 24°C | 4°C | 13.9°C | 42 mm | 0 cm |
| October | 18°C | −2°C | 7.7°C | 34 mm | 2 cm |
| November | 10°C | −8°C | 1.3°C | 21 mm | 8 cm |
| December | 5°C | −12°C | −3.7°C | 24 mm | 24 cm |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USC00292837; annual normals. Wet days: 0.01 inch or more; 90°F days and freezing nights: NOAA's day counts. Daylight: sunrise to sunset on the 15th, computed from the latitude.
Which months are mildest at El Vado Dam?
Normal highs sit between 65°F and 85°F in May, June, July, August and September. Of those, June has the fewest days with rain (5).
That is a measurement, not a recommendation: it counts the months whose normal afternoon high sits between 65°F and 85°F, where a light layer is enough by day.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USC00292837.
When is the last frost at El Vado Dam?
In El Vado Dam, the last spring frost (32°F) comes after June 13 in half of years and after July 1 in one year in ten; the first autumn frost comes before September 18 in half of years and before September 5 in one year in ten.
Frost-free in half of yearsFrost in 1 to 9 years out of 10Frost most years
- Last spring frost, half of years after
- June 131 year in 10 after July 1; 9 in 10 after May 31
- First autumn frost, half of years before
- September 181 year in 10 before September 5; 9 in 10 before September 29
NOAA puts the median frost-free season at 94 days, and the season without a hard freeze (28°F) at 119 days.
A hard freeze (28°F) comes after May 28 in half of springs and before September 26 in half of autumns.
The USDA's 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts El Vado Dam in zone 5b in ZIP code 87551, the nearest ZIP area. By the map's own method, the average of each year's coldest night over 1991-2020, the station is in zone 5b: the coldest night of a typical year reaches −12°F (28 complete years).
Frost dates for every NOAA station in New Mexico · Frost dates by ZIP code
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals (frost probabilities), station USC00292837; USDA 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map, ZIP listings: PRISM Group, Oregon State University, https://prism.oregonstate.edu, accessed October 8, 2026; the station zone: ACIS daily lows, 1991-2020. A 10% date means one year in ten has a frost after it in spring or before it in autumn.
How hot and how cold does it get at El Vado Dam?
In a normal year in El Vado Dam, 17 days a year reach 90°F, 218 nights fall to 32°F or colder and 84 days bring measurable precipitation.
- Days at 90°F or more
- 17a normal year
- Days at 100°F or more
- fewer than 1a normal year
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 218a normal year
- Days that stay below freezing
- 12high of 32°F or less
- Days with 0.01 inch of precipitation
- 84a normal year
- Days with 1 inch of snow or more
- 12a normal year
The highest temperature in this station's record (since 1906) is 102°F, on July 23, 2018; the lowest is −45°F, on January 7, 1971.
The wettest calendar year on that record is 1969, with 24.09 in; the snowiest season is 1957–58, with 100.5 inches.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals, station USC00292837; records: ACIS (NOAA Regional Climate Centers), station USC00292837. Records use complete months only; a month missing more than three days is left out.
How sunny is it at El Vado Dam?
Over a year 82% of the sunlight that would reach the ground under clear skies gets through the clouds at El Vado Dam, 5.3 kWh per square metre a day. June is the sunniest month (87%) and December the cloudiest (79%).
| Month | Share of clear-sky sunshine | Sunshine, kWh/m² a day |
|---|---|---|
| January | 81% | 3.1 |
| February | 80% | 4.0 |
| March | 81% | 5.3 |
| April | 81% | 6.5 |
| May | 83% | 7.4 |
| June | 87% | 7.9 |
| July | 80% | 6.8 |
| August | 80% | 6.3 |
| September | 84% | 5.6 |
| October | 85% | 4.5 |
| November | 83% | 3.3 |
| December | 79% | 2.7 |
Source: NASA POWER solar climatology, 2001-2020 (CERES SYN1deg). Satellite-based, for the 1-degree cell (about 100 km across) around the station, so it describes the area rather than the airport.
How many heating and cooling degree days does El Vado Dam record?
A normal year at El Vado Dam brings 7,510 heating degree days, 40% more than the median U.S. place (5,373), and 147 cooling degree days, 84% fewer than the median (908). Eight months need 300 or more heating degree days, a monthly mean of about 55°F or colder. For gardens and crops, NOAA counts 1,650 growing degree days a year above 50°F.
| Month | Heating | Cooling |
|---|---|---|
| January | 1,266 | 0 |
| February | 1,012 | 0 |
| March | 890 | 0 |
| April | 680 | 0 |
| May | 435 | 1 |
| June | 159 | 16 |
| July | 26 | 79 |
| August | 55 | 48 |
| September | 241 | 4 |
| October | 595 | 0 |
| November | 920 | 0 |
| December | 1,232 | 0 |
| Year (annual) | 7,510 | 147 |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USC00292837. A degree day is one degree of a day's mean temperature below 65°F (heating) or above it (cooling); utilities use them to estimate energy use.
Have recent years at El Vado Dam been warmer than normal?
2024 averaged 47.3°F, 2.6°F above the 1991-2020 normal of 44.7°F.
| Year | Mean | Against normal | Precip. | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 47.3°F | +2.6°F | 14.25 | 19.1 |
Over 65 complete years from 1939 to 2024, the station's annual mean temperature rose at a fitted 2.0°F per century (+0.11°C per decade). A fitted rate summarizes the whole record; single years swing well above and below it.
Source: observed years: ACIS, station USC00292837; trend: NOAA GHCN-Monthly v4. A year counts only with all twelve months complete.
How does El Vado Dam's climate compare?
El Vado Dam is warmer than 5 of the 98 places with their own NOAA record in New Mexico, and wetter than 56. Across the 7,247 U.S. stations with normals, its annual mean of 44.7°F is warmer than 18%.
In the Köppen classification computed from these normals, El Vado Dam is Dfb: continental, no dry season, warm summer. What the classes mean.
Places with the most similar year elsewhere
Measured month by month on the normal high, low and precipitation, among places of 20,000 or more people in other states:
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 normals for every station PlainClimate covers. Similarity: the root-mean-square difference of the 36 monthly figures, precipitation weighted so an inch counts like 6°F.
Questions about El Vado Dam's climate
What is the coldest month at El Vado Dam?
January, with a normal high of 40°F and a normal low of 9°F. The warmest is July (85°F by day, 49°F at night).
Does it snow at El Vado Dam?
Yes: 36 inches in a normal year, falling on 17 days with 0.1 inch or more, the most in January (10.4 inches).
What is the rainiest month at El Vado Dam?
August, with 2.16 in of precipitation in a normal year; the driest is June with 0.70 in.
What plant hardiness zone is El Vado Dam in?
The USDA's 2023 map puts El Vado Dam in zone 5b in ZIP code 87551, the nearest ZIP area. By the same method at the station, the coldest night of a typical year reaches −12°F (28 years, 1991-2020): zone 5b.
How late can frost come at El Vado Dam?
In half of years the last 32°F night comes after June 13; in one year in ten it comes after July 1. Waiting until July 1 leaves about a one-in-ten chance of a later frost.
Nearby and next
- New Mexico climateThe statewide normals and every place in the state
- Tierra Amarilla, NM16 miles from this station, 43.4°F a year
- Brazos, NM19 miles from this station, 44.8°F a year
- Chama, NM24 miles from this station, 42.2°F a year
- Lindrith, NM27 miles from this station, 46.3°F a year
- Compare two placesMonth by month, side by side
Download these normals (CSV) · JSON · How these figures are made