Elk, New Mexico climate: Climate normals at a NOAA weather station
Elk's normal year runs from 20°F January nights to 85°F July afternoons, with 15.7 inches of precipitation and 13 inches of snow a year. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a yearly mean of 12.1°C, January lows of −7°C, July highs of 30°C, 399 mm of precipitation a year.
- NOAA stationElk
- Station IDUSC00292865
- Location32.92°N 105.34°W
- Elevation5,934 ft (1,809 m)
On October 22, the normal high in Elk is 70°F and the normal low 35°F, and the chance of measurable rain or snow is 12%.
Normals describe a typical year at the station, not a forecast. The National Weather Service forecast for Elk.
- Jan 55° 20°
- Feb 58° 23°
- Mar 65° 28°
- Apr 71° 34°
- May 79° 42°
- Jun 87° 50°
- Jul 85° 55°
- Aug 84° 54°
- Sep 80° 47°
- Oct 72° 37°
- Nov 62° 27°
- Dec 55° 21°
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 Elk each month?
July is the warmest month, with normal highs of 85°F; January the coldest, with normal lows of 20°F. The most precipitation falls in July (3.14 in), the least in February (0.33 in).
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Precip. | Snow | Wet days | 90°F days | Freezing nights | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 55°F | 20°F | 37.5°F | 0.51 | 3.1 | 3 | <1 | 29 | 10 h 10 min |
| February | 58°F | 23°F | 40.6°F | 0.33 | 2.0 | 2 | <1 | 24 | 11 h |
| March | 65°F | 28°F | 46.1°F | 0.51 | 1.2 | 3 | <1 | 23 | 12 h |
| April | 71°F | 34°F | 52.6°F | 0.52 | 0.2 | 2 | <1 | 13 | 13 h |
| May | 79°F | 42°F | 60.3°F | 0.99 | 0.0 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 13 h 50 min |
| June | 87°F | 50°F | 68.3°F | 1.62 | 0.0 | 5 | 9 | <1 | 14 h 20 min |
| July | 85°F | 55°F | 70.3°F | 3.14 | 0.0 | 10 | 6 | <1 | 14 h 10 min |
| August | 84°F | 54°F | 69.0°F | 2.74 | 0.0 | 11 | 3 | <1 | 13 h 20 min |
| September | 80°F | 47°F | 63.4°F | 2.62 | 0.0 | 7 | 1 | <1 | 12 h 30 min |
| October | 72°F | 37°F | 54.5°F | 1.50 | 1.5 | 4 | <1 | 8 | 11 h 30 min |
| November | 62°F | 27°F | 44.5°F | 0.51 | 1.9 | 2 | <1 | 23 | 10 h 30 min |
| December | 55°F | 21°F | 37.8°F | 0.70 | 3.5 | 2 | <1 | 29 | 10 h |
| Year (annual) | 71°F | 37°F | 53.7°F | 15.69 | 13.4 | 54 | 20 | 151 |
The same normals in °C and millimetres
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Precip. | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 13°C | −7°C | 3.1°C | 13 mm | 8 cm |
| February | 15°C | −5°C | 4.8°C | 8 mm | 5 cm |
| March | 18°C | −2°C | 7.8°C | 13 mm | 3 cm |
| April | 22°C | 1°C | 11.4°C | 13 mm | 1 cm |
| May | 26°C | 5°C | 15.7°C | 25 mm | 0 cm |
| June | 30°C | 10°C | 20.2°C | 41 mm | 0 cm |
| July | 30°C | 13°C | 21.3°C | 80 mm | 0 cm |
| August | 29°C | 12°C | 20.6°C | 70 mm | 0 cm |
| September | 26°C | 8°C | 17.4°C | 67 mm | 0 cm |
| October | 22°C | 3°C | 12.5°C | 38 mm | 4 cm |
| November | 17°C | −3°C | 6.9°C | 13 mm | 5 cm |
| December | 13°C | −6°C | 3.2°C | 18 mm | 9 cm |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USC00292865; 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 Elk?
Normal highs sit between 65°F and 85°F in April, May, August, September and October. Of those, April has the fewest days with rain (2).
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 USC00292865.
When is the last frost at Elk?
In Elk, the last spring frost (32°F) comes after May 7 in half of years and after May 19 in one year in ten; the first autumn frost comes before October 11 in half of years and before September 27 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
- May 71 year in 10 after May 19; 9 in 10 after April 25
- First autumn frost, half of years before
- October 111 year in 10 before September 27; 9 in 10 before October 24
NOAA puts the median frost-free season at 155 days, and the season without a hard freeze (28°F) at 176 days.
A hard freeze (28°F) comes after April 27 in half of springs and before October 22 in half of autumns.
The USDA's 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Elk in zone 7a in ZIP code 88339, the nearest ZIP area.
Frost dates for every NOAA station in New Mexico · Frost dates by ZIP code
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals (frost probabilities), station USC00292865; USDA 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map, ZIP listings: PRISM Group, Oregon State University, https://prism.oregonstate.edu, accessed October 8, 2026. 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 Elk?
In a normal year in Elk, 20 days a year reach 90°F, 151 nights fall to 32°F or colder and 54 days bring measurable precipitation.
- Days at 90°F or more
- 20a normal year
- Days at 100°F or more
- fewer than 1a normal year
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 151a normal year
- Days that stay below freezing
- 3high of 32°F or less
- Days with 0.01 inch of precipitation
- 54a normal year
- Days with 1 inch of snow or more
- 5a normal year
The highest temperature in this station's record (since 1895) is 110°F, on July 22, 2023; the lowest is −24°F, on January 10, 1962.
The wettest calendar year on that record is 1974, with 27.02 in; the snowiest season is 1987–88, with 53.0 inches.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals, station USC00292865; records: ACIS (NOAA Regional Climate Centers), station USC00292865. Records use complete months only; a month missing more than three days is left out.
How sunny is it at Elk?
Over a year 88% of the sunlight that would reach the ground under clear skies gets through the clouds at Elk, 5.7 kWh per square metre a day. April is the sunniest month (91%) and July the cloudiest (84%).
| Month | Share of clear-sky sunshine | Sunshine, kWh/m² a day |
|---|---|---|
| January | 86% | 3.6 |
| February | 86% | 4.6 |
| March | 88% | 5.9 |
| April | 91% | 7.3 |
| May | 91% | 7.9 |
| June | 90% | 7.9 |
| July | 84% | 7.0 |
| August | 84% | 6.5 |
| September | 86% | 5.8 |
| October | 89% | 5.0 |
| November | 88% | 3.9 |
| December | 85% | 3.3 |
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 Elk record?
A normal year at Elk brings 4,560 heating degree days, 15% fewer than the median U.S. place (5,373), and 473 cooling degree days, 48% fewer than the median (908). Seven months need 300 or more heating degree days, a monthly mean of about 55°F or colder. For gardens and crops, NOAA counts 2,856 growing degree days a year above 50°F.
| Month | Heating | Cooling |
|---|---|---|
| January | 853 | 0 |
| February | 685 | 0 |
| March | 584 | 0 |
| April | 373 | 1 |
| May | 169 | 22 |
| June | 17 | 117 |
| July | 3 | 166 |
| August | 8 | 132 |
| September | 83 | 35 |
| October | 328 | 1 |
| November | 614 | 0 |
| December | 845 | 0 |
| Year (annual) | 4,560 | 473 |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USC00292865. 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.
How does Elk's climate compare?
Elk is warmer than 48 of the 98 places with their own NOAA record in New Mexico, and wetter than 65. Across the 7,247 U.S. stations with normals, its annual mean of 53.7°F is warmer than 56%.
In the Köppen classification computed from these normals, Elk is BSk: cold semi-arid steppe. 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.
Which places near Elk share this climate record?
3 places have no NOAA station with 1991-2020 normals of their own, and this station is the nearest full record. A place's own climate can differ from these figures, by several degrees where it sits much higher or lower than the station, nearer the coast, or inside a large city's heat; for the larger places the next nearest records are named with their yearly mean, so the spread around them is visible, and places of 50,000 or more have their own page with NOAA's gridded normals.
- Weed, NM90 people · 14 mi SW
- Mayhill, NM9 people · 10 mi W
- Pinon, NM0 people · 21 mi S
Source: Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer (place centers) and Vintage 2024 population estimates. Distance and direction from the station to each place's center.
Questions about Elk's climate
What is the coldest month at Elk?
January, with a normal high of 55°F and a normal low of 20°F. The warmest is July (85°F by day, 55°F at night).
Does it snow at Elk?
Yes: 13 inches in a normal year, falling on 6 days with 0.1 inch or more, the most in December (3.5 inches).
What is the rainiest month at Elk?
July, with 3.14 in of precipitation in a normal year; the driest is February with 0.33 in.
What plant hardiness zone is Elk in?
The USDA's 2023 map puts Elk in zone 7a in ZIP code 88339, the nearest ZIP area.
How late can frost come at Elk?
In half of years the last 32°F night comes after May 7; in one year in ten it comes after May 19. Waiting until May 19 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
- Cloudcroft, NM23 miles from this station, 45.7°F a year
- Mountain Park, NM28 miles from this station, 52.9°F a year
- Picacho, NM32 miles from this station, 58.6°F a year
- Hope, NM35 miles from this station, 61.9°F a year
- Compare two placesMonth by month, side by side
Download these normals (CSV) · JSON · How these figures are made