Española, New Mexico climate: Normal weather by month, frost dates and records
Española's normal year runs from 16°F December nights to 91°F July afternoons. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a yearly mean of 11.3°C, December lows of −9°C, July highs of 33°C.
- NOAA stationEspanola
- Station IDUSC00293031
- Location36.00°N 106.06°W
- Elevation5,620 ft (1,713 m)
- Population10,475
On October 23, the normal high in Española is 68°F and the normal low 31°F.
Normals describe a typical year at the station, not a forecast. The National Weather Service forecast for Española.
- Jan 48° 16°
- Feb 55° 21°
- Mar 63° 26°
- Apr 70° 33°
- May 78° 40°
- Jun 89° 49°
- Jul 91° 57°
- Aug 88° 54°
- Sep 82° 46°
- Oct 70° 34°
- Nov 59° 23°
- Dec 47° 16°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
What is the weather like in Española each month?
July is the warmest month, with normal highs of 91°F; December the coldest, with normal lows of 16°F.
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Wet days | 90°F days | Freezing nights | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 48°F | 16°F | 32.3°F | – | <1 | 31 | 10 h |
| February | 55°F | 21°F | 37.9°F | – | <1 | 27 | 10 h 50 min |
| March | 63°F | 26°F | 44.4°F | – | <1 | 26 | 11 h 50 min |
| April | 70°F | 33°F | 51.2°F | – | <1 | 15 | 13 h |
| May | 78°F | 40°F | 59.3°F | – | 2 | 3 | 14 h |
| June | 89°F | 49°F | 68.8°F | – | 13 | <1 | 14 h 40 min |
| July | 91°F | 57°F | 74.0°F | – | 20 | <1 | 14 h 20 min |
| August | 88°F | 54°F | 71.2°F | – | 12 | <1 | 13 h 30 min |
| September | 82°F | 46°F | 64.1°F | – | 3 | 1 | 12 h 30 min |
| October | 70°F | 34°F | 52.1°F | – | <1 | 14 | 11 h 20 min |
| November | 59°F | 23°F | 41.1°F | – | <1 | 27 | 10 h 20 min |
| December | 47°F | 16°F | 31.4°F | – | <1 | 31 | 9 h 40 min |
| Year (annual) | 70°F | 35°F | 52.3°F | – | 51 | 174 |
The same normals in °C and millimetres
| Month | High | Low | Mean |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 9°C | −9°C | 0.2°C |
| February | 13°C | −6°C | 3.3°C |
| March | 17°C | −3°C | 6.9°C |
| April | 21°C | 0°C | 10.7°C |
| May | 26°C | 5°C | 15.2°C |
| June | 31°C | 9°C | 20.4°C |
| July | 33°C | 14°C | 23.3°C |
| August | 31°C | 12°C | 21.8°C |
| September | 28°C | 8°C | 17.8°C |
| October | 21°C | 1°C | 11.2°C |
| November | 15°C | −5°C | 5.1°C |
| December | 8°C | −9°C | −0.3°C |
NOAA publishes no 1991-2020 snowfall normal for this station. The nearest record that keeps one, Alcalde (6 miles away), gets 11 inches of snow in a normal year; elevation and distance can change that.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USC00293031; 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.
When is the best weather to visit Española?
Normal highs sit between 65°F and 85°F in April, May, September and October.
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 USC00293031.
When is the last frost in Española?
In Española, the last spring frost (32°F) comes after May 11 in half of years and after May 26 in one year in ten; the first autumn frost comes before October 6 in half of years and before September 25 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 111 year in 10 after May 26; 9 in 10 after April 28
- First autumn frost, half of years before
- October 61 year in 10 before September 25; 9 in 10 before October 19
NOAA puts the median frost-free season at 149 days, and the season without a hard freeze (28°F) at 168 days.
A hard freeze (28°F) comes after April 30 in half of springs and before October 16 in half of autumns.
The USDA's 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Española in zone 7a in ZIP code 87567, 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 USC00293031; 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 in Española?
In a normal year in Española, 51 days a year reach 90°F (2 of them 100°F or more) and 174 nights fall to 32°F or colder.
- Days at 90°F or more
- 51a normal year
- Days at 100°F or more
- 2a normal year
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 174a normal year
- Days that stay below freezing
- 3high of 32°F or less
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals, station USC00293031.
How sunny is Española?
Over a year 86% of the sunlight that would reach the ground under clear skies gets through the clouds in the area around Española, 5.5 kWh per square metre a day. June is the sunniest month (90%) and December the cloudiest (81%).
| Month | Share of clear-sky sunshine | Sunshine, kWh/m² a day |
|---|---|---|
| January | 83% | 3.2 |
| February | 82% | 4.1 |
| March | 85% | 5.6 |
| April | 85% | 6.8 |
| May | 87% | 7.7 |
| June | 90% | 8.1 |
| July | 85% | 7.2 |
| August | 86% | 6.6 |
| September | 87% | 5.8 |
| October | 88% | 4.7 |
| November | 86% | 3.5 |
| December | 81% | 2.8 |
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 much heating and cooling does Española need?
A normal year in Española brings 5,286 heating degree days, 2% fewer than the median U.S. place (5,373), and 684 cooling degree days, 25% 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 2,923 growing degree days a year above 50°F.
| Month | Heating | Cooling |
|---|---|---|
| January | 1,012 | 0 |
| February | 760 | 0 |
| March | 639 | 0 |
| April | 414 | 0 |
| May | 193 | 16 |
| June | 23 | 137 |
| July | 2 | 279 |
| August | 4 | 197 |
| September | 81 | 54 |
| October | 401 | 1 |
| November | 717 | 0 |
| December | 1,041 | 0 |
| Year (annual) | 5,286 | 684 |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USC00293031. 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 Española's climate compare?
Española is warmer than 38 of the other 97 places with their own NOAA record in New Mexico. Across the 7,247 U.S. stations with normals, its annual mean of 52.3°F is warmer than 51%.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 normals for every station PlainClimate covers.
Which places near Española share this climate record?
24 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.
- Chimayo, NM2,726 people · 6 mi E
- La Mesilla, NM2,531 people · 4 mi S
- Pojoaque, NM2,274 people · 8 mi S
- Nambe, NM2,045 people · 9 mi SE
- El Valle de Arroyo Seco, NM1,602 people · 4 mi SE
- El Rancho, NM1,432 people · 7 mi S
- Santa Clara Pueblo, NM1,002 people · 3 mi SW
- La Puebla, NM844 people · 3 mi E
- San Jose, NM739 people · 3 mi NW
- San Ildefonso Pueblo, NM670 people · 9 mi SW
- Cuartelez, NM594 people · 2 mi E
- Cuyamungue, NM511 people · 10 mi S
- Jacona, NM441 people · 8 mi S
- Tesuque Pueblo, NM427 people · 14 mi S
- Cordova, NM418 people · 11 mi E
- Cuyamungue Grant, NM331 people · 11 mi S
- Chupadero, NM309 people · 15 mi SE
- Truchas, NM278 people · 14 mi E
- Jaconita, NM272 people · 8 mi S
- Santa Cruz, NM225 people · 1 mi E
- Rio Chiquito, NM211 people · 9 mi E
- Sombrillo, NM136 people · 2 mi SE
- Rio en Medio, NM64 people · 15 mi SE
- Cundiyo, NM0 people · 9 mi E
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 Española's climate
What is the coldest month in Española?
December, with a normal high of 47°F and a normal low of 16°F. The warmest is July (91°F by day, 57°F at night).
Does it snow in Española?
Yes. NOAA publishes no 1991-2020 snowfall normal for Española's NOAA station; the nearest record that keeps one, Alcalde (6 miles away), records 11 inches of snow in a normal year.
What plant hardiness zone is Española in?
The USDA's 2023 map puts Española in zone 7a in ZIP code 87567, the nearest ZIP area.
How late can frost come in Española?
In half of years the last 32°F night comes after May 11; in one year in ten it comes after May 26. Waiting until May 26 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
- Alcalde, NM6 miles from this station, 50.4°F a year
- Los Alamos, NM17 miles from this station, 49.8°F a year
- El Rito, NM25 miles from this station, 48.9°F a year
- Santa Fe, NM27 miles from this station, 52.0°F a year
- Compare two placesMonth by month, side by side
Download these normals (CSV) · JSON · How these figures are made