Climate Comfort Score
77/100
Good
NOAA 1991–2020 normals 63°F annual avg Public-domain federal data
Elephant Butte Dam, NM Climate
Pulled from NOAA NCEI 1991–2020 normals →: average temperature, precipitation, and comfort score
- 63°F
- Avg annual temp
- 77/100
- Comfort score
- 9.9"
- Annual precip
- 247d
- Growing season
30-year climate normals from 1 weather station (1991-2020).
The climate verdict for Elephant Butte Dam
Elephant Butte Dam, New Mexico averages 63°F a year and scores 77/100 on the comfort index - good, milder than 72% of U.S. cities.
- 63°F
- annual average temperature (NOAA normal)
- 77/100
- comfort score, milder than 72% of U.S. cities
- 9.9"
- annual precipitation · 1" snow
- 247 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
63°F (17°C)
Avg High
77°F
Avg Low
50°F
Annual Precip
9.9"
Annual Snow
0.9"
Comfort Score
77/100
Good
Avg Annual Temperature
63°F
30-year mean (NOAA NCEI)
Annual Precipitation
9.9"
Plus 0.9" of snow
Comfort score vs national 100-point ceiling (Elephant Butte Dam) 77.0%
National median (63)
PlainClimate composite, temperature mildness, humidity, precipitation, extreme-weather frequency. Good for the Elephant Butte Dam area.
How Elephant Butte Dam compares to every U.S. city
Elephant Butte Dam's comfort score vs. all U.S. cities
PlainClimate composite comfort index (1–100), NOAA 1991–2020 normals
77 Top 28% higher than 72% 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 Elephant Butte Dam
MethodologyZooming out from Elephant Butte Dam's own normal, the chart below shows how the U.S. land temperature anomaly has tracked the global mean since 1900 - the most recent decade sits warmer than the 30-year mean shown here.
- 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) | 30°F (-1°C) | 43°F (6°C) | 0.4" | 0.2" | 22.2 | 0.0 |
| February | 62°F (17°C) | 34°F (1°C) | 48°F (9°C) | 0.3" | 0.3" | 12.5 | 0.0 |
| March | 69°F (21°C) | 40°F (5°C) | 55°F (13°C) | 0.3" | 0.0" | 4.2 | 0.0 |
| April | 78°F (25°C) | 49°F (9°C) | 63°F (17°C) | 0.3" | 0.0" | 0.2 | 1.1 |
| May | 86°F (30°C) | 58°F (14°C) | 72°F (22°C) | 0.4" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 7.9 |
| June | 96°F (36°C) | 67°F (20°C) | 82°F (28°C) | 0.5" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 24.8 |
| July | 96°F (35°C) | 70°F (21°C) | 83°F (28°C) | 2.2" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 25.6 |
| August | 93°F (34°C) | 69°F (20°C) | 81°F (27°C) | 1.8" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 22.8 |
| September | 88°F (31°C) | 62°F (17°C) | 75°F (24°C) | 1.6" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 11.8 |
| October | 78°F (26°C) | 50°F (10°C) | 64°F (18°C) | 0.9" | 0.1" | 0.6 | 1.6 |
| November | 66°F (19°C) | 38°F (4°C) | 52°F (11°C) | 0.6" | 0.0" | 7.5 | 0.0 |
| December | 56°F (13°C) | 30°F (-1°C) | 43°F (6°C) | 0.6" | 0.3" | 21.6 | 0.0 |
Monthly Precipitation
Average monthly rainfall and snowfall
January 0.4"
Snow: 0.2"
3.0 days with precipitation
February 0.3"
Snow: 0.3"
2.2 days with precipitation
March 0.3"
2.3 days with precipitation
April 0.3"
1.3 days with precipitation
May 0.4"
2.4 days with precipitation
June 0.5"
2.7 days with precipitation
July 2.2"
7.7 days with precipitation
August 1.8"
8.2 days with precipitation
September 1.6"
5.7 days with precipitation
October 0.9"
Snow: 0.1"
4.2 days with precipitation
November 0.6"
2.6 days with precipitation
December 0.6"
Snow: 0.3"
3.1 days with precipitation
Frost Dates & Growing Season
First Fall Freeze
November 15
50% probability date
Last Spring Freeze
March 13
50% probability date
Growing Season
247 days
Heating & Cooling Degree Days
Annual totals indicate energy demand for heating and cooling
Heating Degree Days
2,774
Higher = more heating needed
Cooling Degree Days
2,209
Higher = more cooling needed
Warmest Month
July
Coldest Month
December
What Elephant Butte Dam's climate means for you
Elephant Butte Dam runs 63°F a year - peaking in July, coldest in December.
- Gardeners get about 247 frost-free days, with the last spring freeze near March 13 - plan the planting calendar around it, not the regional average.
- Energy bills track 2,774 heating and 2,209 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: Elephant Butte Dam, NM
Elephant Butte Dam, New Mexico runs an annual average of 63°F, ranging from a mean daily high of 77°F to a mean daily low of 50°F, per NOAA's 1991–2020 climate normals. July is typically the warmest month of the year, while December is the coldest. Drawn from station USC00292848, these thirty-year averages smooth out year-to-year swings into a baseline for what a typical month looks like here.
Precipitation patterns matter as much as temperature for anyone planning to live, garden, or travel here. Elephant Butte Dam receives roughly 9.9 inches of precipitation each year, with 0.9 inches typically falling as snow. The frost-free season averages 247 days, which directly shapes the planting calendar and growing potential for the area, with the last spring freeze near March 13 and the first fall freeze near November 15. For energy use, 2,774 heating degree days and 2,209 cooling degree days tell the story of how often furnaces and air conditioners run during a normal year.
On PlainClimate's composite comfort index, Elephant Butte Dam scores 77/100 (Good), a blended measure that weighs temperature mildness, precipitation moderation, and extreme-weather frequency against one another. For planning purposes, look to the monthly tables above: shoulder seasons bring the mildest highs and lows, summer brings July-driven heat, and deep winter brings December-driven cold. Treat every figure here as a thirty-year average rather than a forecast - individual years routinely run warmer, cooler, wetter, or drier than the normal.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average temperature in Elephant Butte Dam, NM? ▼
The average annual temperature in Elephant Butte Dam, New Mexico is 63°F. The warmest month averages 96°F (36°C) and the coldest averages 30°F (-1°C).
How much rain does Elephant Butte Dam get? ▼
Elephant Butte Dam receives 9.9 inches of precipitation annually, including 0.9 inches of snow. Based on NOAA 30-year climate normals (1991-2020).
What is the comfort score for Elephant Butte Dam? ▼
Elephant Butte Dam has a climate comfort score of 77/100 (Good), milder than 72% of U.S. cities in the PlainClimate database.
When is the growing season in Elephant Butte Dam? ▼
Elephant Butte Dam has approximately 247 frost-free days per year, with the last spring freeze around March 13 and the first fall freeze around November 15.
How much energy does heating and cooling require in Elephant Butte Dam? ▼
Elephant Butte Dam has 2,774 heating degree days and 2,209 cooling degree days annually, a fairly balanced heating/cooling split. 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 Elephant Butte Dam climate data come from? ▼
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals v1.0.1 (1991-2020), from weather station USC00292848 near Elephant Butte Dam.
Data Sources
Data source: NOAA U.S. Climate Normals v1.0.1 (1991-2020). Station: USC00292848. 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.