EL Vado Dam, NM Climate

Climate Insight: EL Vado Dam, NM

Based on station USC00292837 feeding NOAA's 1991–2020 climate normals, EL Vado Dam, New Mexico averages 45°F a year, ranging from a mean daily high of 62°F to a mean daily low of 28°F. July is typically the warmest month of the year, while January is the coldest. Because these figures are thirty-year averages rather than any single year's readings, they describe the typical month, not a forecast for it.

Rainfall (and snow, where it falls) shapes day-to-day life here as much as temperature does. EL Vado Dam sees about 14.1 inches of precipitation a year, with 35.7 inches typically falling as snow. The frost-free season averages 97 days, which directly shapes the planting calendar and growing potential for the area, with the last spring freeze near June 13 and the first fall freeze near September 18. On the energy side, 7,510 heating degree days and 147 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 Vado Dam scores 39/100 (Below Average), a blended measure that weighs temperature mildness, precipitation moderation, and extreme-weather frequency against one another. The monthly tables above turn that into a planning tool: expect the mildest highs and lows in the shoulder seasons, July-driven heat at the peak of summer, and January-driven cold at the depth of winter. Every number here is a thirty-year average, not a forecast, so any given year can and does run warmer, cooler, wetter, or drier than the normal.