Johnson Ranch, New Mexico climate: Climate normals at a NOAA weather station
Johnson Ranch's normal year runs from 13°F January nights to 86°F July afternoons, with 12.2 inches of precipitation and 29 inches of snow a year. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a yearly mean of 8.9°C, January lows of −11°C, July highs of 30°C, 309 mm of precipitation a year.
- NOAA stationJohnson Ranch
- Station IDUSC00294398
- Location35.95°N 107.09°W
- Elevation7,203 ft (2,196 m)
On October 23, the normal high in Johnson Ranch is 63°F and the normal low 28°F, and the chance of measurable rain or snow is 13%.
Normals describe a typical year at the station, not a forecast. The National Weather Service forecast for Johnson Ranch.
- Jan 40° 13°
- Feb 46° 19°
- Mar 56° 24°
- Apr 64° 29°
- May 73° 37°
- Jun 84° 46°
- Jul 86° 54°
- Aug 84° 52°
- Sep 78° 44°
- Oct 66° 31°
- Nov 53° 22°
- Dec 42° 13°
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 Johnson Ranch each month?
July is the warmest month, with normal highs of 86°F; January the coldest, with normal lows of 13°F. The most precipitation falls in July (2.18 in), the least in February (0.57 in).
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Precip. | Snow | Wet days | 90°F days | Freezing nights | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 40°F | 13°F | 26.7°F | 0.71 | 6.6 | 5 | <1 | 31 | 10 h |
| February | 46°F | 19°F | 32.4°F | 0.57 | 4.8 | 5 | <1 | 28 | 10 h 50 min |
| March | 56°F | 24°F | 39.9°F | 0.68 | 5.0 | 5 | <1 | 29 | 11 h 50 min |
| April | 64°F | 29°F | 46.1°F | 0.77 | 1.6 | 4 | <1 | 22 | 13 h |
| May | 73°F | 37°F | 55.2°F | 0.71 | 0.3 | 4 | <1 | 8 | 14 h |
| June | 84°F | 46°F | 64.9°F | 0.68 | 0.0 | 3 | 7 | <1 | 14 h 30 min |
| July | 86°F | 54°F | 70.1°F | 2.18 | 0.0 | 9 | 9 | <1 | 14 h 20 min |
| August | 84°F | 52°F | 68.0°F | 1.96 | 0.0 | 9 | 6 | <1 | 13 h 30 min |
| September | 78°F | 44°F | 60.9°F | 1.41 | 0.0 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 12 h 30 min |
| October | 66°F | 31°F | 48.4°F | 0.89 | 0.8 | 4 | <1 | 19 | 11 h 20 min |
| November | 53°F | 22°F | 37.4°F | 0.78 | 2.6 | 4 | <1 | 27 | 10 h 20 min |
| December | 42°F | 13°F | 27.8°F | 0.82 | 7.0 | 5 | <1 | 31 | 9 h 40 min |
| Year (annual) | 64°F | 32°F | 48.1°F | 12.16 | 28.7 | 61 | 24 | 196 |
The same normals in °C and millimetres
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Precip. | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 5°C | −11°C | −2.9°C | 18 mm | 17 cm |
| February | 8°C | −7°C | 0.2°C | 14 mm | 12 cm |
| March | 13°C | −4°C | 4.4°C | 17 mm | 13 cm |
| April | 18°C | −2°C | 7.8°C | 20 mm | 4 cm |
| May | 23°C | 3°C | 12.9°C | 18 mm | 1 cm |
| June | 29°C | 8°C | 18.3°C | 17 mm | 0 cm |
| July | 30°C | 12°C | 21.2°C | 55 mm | 0 cm |
| August | 29°C | 11°C | 20.0°C | 50 mm | 0 cm |
| September | 25°C | 7°C | 16.1°C | 36 mm | 0 cm |
| October | 19°C | 0°C | 9.1°C | 23 mm | 2 cm |
| November | 12°C | −6°C | 3.0°C | 20 mm | 7 cm |
| December | 6°C | −10°C | −2.3°C | 21 mm | 18 cm |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USC00294398; 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 Johnson Ranch?
Normal highs sit between 65°F and 85°F in May, June, August, September and October. Of those, June has the fewest days with rain (3).
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 USC00294398.
When is the last frost at Johnson Ranch?
In Johnson Ranch, the last spring frost (32°F) comes after May 21 in half of years and after June 4 in one year in ten; the first autumn frost comes before October 3 in half of years and before September 24 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 211 year in 10 after June 4; 9 in 10 after May 9
- First autumn frost, half of years before
- October 31 year in 10 before September 24; 9 in 10 before October 12
NOAA puts the median frost-free season at 134 days, and the season without a hard freeze (28°F) at 155 days.
A hard freeze (28°F) comes after May 7 in half of springs and before October 10 in half of autumns.
The USDA's 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Johnson Ranch in zone 5b in ZIP code 87027, 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 USC00294398; 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 Johnson Ranch?
In a normal year in Johnson Ranch, 24 days a year reach 90°F, 196 nights fall to 32°F or colder and 61 days bring measurable precipitation.
- Days at 90°F or more
- 24a normal year
- Days at 100°F or more
- fewer than 1a normal year
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 196a normal year
- Days that stay below freezing
- 13high of 32°F or less
- Days with 0.01 inch of precipitation
- 61a normal year
- Days with 1 inch of snow or more
- 12a normal year
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals, station USC00294398.
How sunny is it at Johnson Ranch?
Over a year 86% of the sunlight that would reach the ground under clear skies gets through the clouds at Johnson Ranch, 5.5 kWh per square metre a day. June is the sunniest month (90%) and December the cloudiest (80%).
| Month | Share of clear-sky sunshine | Sunshine, kWh/m² a day |
|---|---|---|
| January | 81% | 3.2 |
| February | 81% | 4.1 |
| March | 85% | 5.6 |
| April | 86% | 6.9 |
| May | 87% | 7.7 |
| June | 90% | 8.1 |
| July | 84% | 7.2 |
| August | 84% | 6.6 |
| September | 87% | 5.8 |
| October | 89% | 4.8 |
| November | 86% | 3.5 |
| December | 80% | 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 many heating and cooling degree days does Johnson Ranch record?
A normal year at Johnson Ranch brings 6,485 heating degree days, 21% more than the median U.S. place (5,373), and 357 cooling degree days, 61% 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 2,246 growing degree days a year above 50°F.
| Month | Heating | Cooling |
|---|---|---|
| January | 1,189 | 0 |
| February | 911 | 0 |
| March | 780 | 0 |
| April | 568 | 0 |
| May | 309 | 4 |
| June | 65 | 61 |
| July | 5 | 163 |
| August | 18 | 109 |
| September | 144 | 20 |
| October | 513 | 0 |
| November | 830 | 0 |
| December | 1,154 | 0 |
| Year (annual) | 6,485 | 357 |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USC00294398. 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 Johnson Ranch's climate compare?
Johnson Ranch is warmer than 10 of the 98 places with their own NOAA record in New Mexico, and wetter than 38. Across the 7,247 U.S. stations with normals, its annual mean of 48.1°F is warmer than 32%.
In the Köppen classification computed from these normals, Johnson Ranch 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.
Questions about Johnson Ranch's climate
What is the coldest month at Johnson Ranch?
January, with a normal high of 40°F and a normal low of 13°F. The warmest is July (86°F by day, 54°F at night).
Does it snow at Johnson Ranch?
Yes: 29 inches in a normal year, falling on 14 days with 0.1 inch or more, the most in December (7.0 inches).
What is the rainiest month at Johnson Ranch?
July, with 2.18 in of precipitation in a normal year; the driest is February with 0.57 in.
What plant hardiness zone is Johnson Ranch in?
The USDA's 2023 map puts Johnson Ranch in zone 5b in ZIP code 87027, the nearest ZIP area.
How late can frost come at Johnson Ranch?
In half of years the last 32°F night comes after May 21; in one year in ten it comes after June 4. Waiting until June 4 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
- Cuba, NM7 miles from this station, 48.7°F a year
- Torreon, NM12 miles from this station, 51.5°F a year
- Wolf Canyon, NM19 miles from this station, 41.5°F a year
- Star Lake, NM21 miles from this station, 48.1°F a year
- Compare two placesMonth by month, side by side
Download these normals (CSV) · JSON · How these figures are made