Thoreau, NM Climate: Temperature & Rain by Month
Temperature and precipitation from NOAA NCEI 1991–2020 normals →, plus PlainClimate's derived comfort score
30-year climate normals (1991-2020) from Thoreau's primary NOAA station, THOREAU 12 SE.
The climate verdict for Thoreau
Dryness leads the climate profile for Thoreau, New Mexico, with 12.3 inches of precipitation a year. NOAA records an annual average of 50°F. At 49/100 (moderate) the climate comfort score falls in the bottom third of the station-mapped U.S. score corpus, exceeding only 18% of scores.
- 50°F
- annual average temperature (NOAA normal)
- 49/100
- comfort score, above 18% of station-mapped location scores
- 12.3"
- annual precipitation · 31" snow
- 120 days
- growing season, frost-free days
Thoreau: NOAA 1991-2020 normals describe a typical year, not a forecast. Method: /methodology.
Normals record plate
Sheet USC00298834 · Thoreau, NM 50°F mean · 12.3" precip
TEMP-COOL · RANK-COOL · PHOTO-FINISH · PRCP-DRY · SWING-MID · COMF-LOW · LOAD-HEAT · STN-1 · BOOK-FULL
- TEMP-COOL 50°F
- RANK-COOL #2,607
- PHOTO-FINISH ≈ Raton
- PRCP-DRY 12.3"
- SWING-MID 41°F
- COMF-LOW 49/100
- LOAD-HEAT 5,990 HDD
- STN-1 USC00298834
- BOOK-FULL 6/6 fields
Nearest mean-temperature peer: Raton Muni Crews, NM (+ 0 °F mean)
Instrument codes from this station's NOAA 1991–2020 normals, mean temperature, corpus warmth rank, photo-finish peer station, precipitation band, seasonal swing, comfort composite, degree-day load, and field book, not a livability rating.
Mean-temperature neighbourhood
Nationwide NOAA normal poles and nearest peers, not a reprint of every NM station list.
- Thoreau (this station) 50°F
- Cold E Sandwich, MA 50°F
- Hot Trinidad Lake, CO 50°F
- Near Raton, NM 50°F
- Near Pickens, WV 50°F
Climate Living Index · Thoreau
Thoreau: 23/100 · grade F
Thoreau publishes 5 of 6 Living Index dimensions (NOAA annual/seasonal normals · NOAA daily multivariate normals); 1 missing weight rescale to 100.
PlainClimate-derived for Thoreau, not an official NOAA rating. Rankings still use Comfort Score 49/100 (separate formula). Breakpoints and limits.
| Dimension | Station value | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Annual temperature balance | 49.7°F · 17.8° from 67.5°F | 39/100 · F |
| Snowfall burden | 30.6 inches/year | 38/100 · F |
| Precipitation balance | 12.3 in · 22.8 from 35 in | 19/100 · F |
| Normal heat + freeze calendar | 210 calendar days | 9/100 · F |
| Frost-free season | 120 days/year | 7/100 · F |
Thoreau · 2026-08-04 · NOAA NCEI Climate Normals · method · Comfort Score method.
Thoreau's normals sit in a dry climate class: BSk
Precipitation is low relative to temperature but above true desert thresholds: cold semi-arid steppe (BSk). Class BSk is the Peel et al. (2007) label for this station's monthly mean temperature and precipitation normals: dry (arid or semi-arid), specifically cold semi-arid steppe.
- Köppen code
- BSk
- Group
- Dry (arid or semi-arid)
- Warmest month
- 70.4°F
- Coldest month
- 29.9°F
Source: official public datasets monthly normals (1991–2020) at the city’s primary station. This is a station classification, not a mapped regional consensus.
National standing · heating-led station
Where Thoreau sits across the climate record
Three NOAA fields for Thoreau's primary station, temperature, precipitation, and seasonal swing, are ranked against every station-mapped normal that carries the same field.
- Annual temperature
- 38th percentile warmth
- Mid-pack annual mean versus 6,861 station normals.
- Annual precipitation
- Drier than 89%
- Thoreau's annual total ranks in the drier third of 6,352 measured normals.
- Seasonal temperature swing
- 38th percentile swing
- Typical seasonal amplitude versus 6,861 complete station-years.
How Thoreau compares across U.S. station-mapped locations
Thoreau's comfort score vs. all station-mapped locations
PlainClimate composite comfort index (1–100), NOAA 1991–2020 normals
49 18th percentile score exceeds 18% of 6,189 station-mapped location scores
- 0–10: 0 station-mapped locations (0%). Below this entry.
- 10–20: 0 station-mapped locations (0%). Below this entry.
- 20–30: 96 station-mapped locations (2%). Below this entry.
- 30–40: 280 station-mapped locations (5%). Below this entry.
- 40–50: 1,113 station-mapped locations (18%). This entry sits in this band.
- 50–60: 1,329 station-mapped locations (21%). Above this entry.
- 60–70: 1,236 station-mapped locations (20%). Above this entry.
- 70–80: 650 station-mapped locations (11%). Above this entry.
- 80–90: 921 station-mapped locations (15%). Above this entry.
- 90–100: 564 station-mapped locations (9%). Above this entry.
Source NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, PlainClimate comfort index · 1991–2020
Monthly Temperatures
Average daily high and low temperatures by month
| Month | Avg High | Avg Low | Mean | Precip | Snow | Freeze Days | 90°F+ Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 48°F (9°C) | 12°F (-11°C) | 30°F (-1°C) | 0.8" | 8.9" | 30.3 | 0.0 |
| February | 51°F (11°C) | 18°F (-8°C) | 35°F (2°C) | 0.6" | 5.9" | 27.3 | 0.0 |
| March | 59°F (15°C) | 23°F (-5°C) | 41°F (5°C) | 0.6" | 2.3" | 29.2 | 0.0 |
| April | 67°F (19°C) | 29°F (-1°C) | 48°F (9°C) | 0.7" | 1.4" | 22.8 | 0.1 |
| May | 76°F (24°C) | 37°F (3°C) | 56°F (14°C) | 0.8" | 1.1" | 10.6 | 0.2 |
| June | 88°F (31°C) | 46°F (8°C) | 67°F (19°C) | 0.6" | 0.0" | 1.0 | 4.3 |
| July | 89°F (32°C) | 52°F (11°C) | 70°F (21°C) | 2.0" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 5.3 |
| August | 86°F (30°C) | 50°F (10°C) | 68°F (20°C) | 2.4" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 2.1 |
| September | 81°F (27°C) | 42°F (6°C) | 61°F (16°C) | 1.4" | 0.0" | 4.2 | 0.8 |
| October | 70°F (21°C) | 30°F (-1°C) | 50°F (10°C) | 0.8" | 1.1" | 20.6 | 0.2 |
| November | 58°F (14°C) | 20°F (-7°C) | 39°F (4°C) | 0.7" | 3.4" | 28.4 | 0.0 |
| December | 48°F (9°C) | 13°F (-11°C) | 30°F (-1°C) | 0.8" | 6.5" | 30.8 | 0.0 |
The year, day by day
Thoreau works both ends of the calendar. Normal highs climb to 90°F by June 28 and hold at or above 90°F on 12 dates, then normal lows drop to freezing or below on 198 dates, bottoming at 11°F around January 1.
When the heat sits
Normal highs reach 90°F from June 25 through July 6, covering 12 dates. The broader mild season, normal highs of 70°F or more, runs April 30 to October 16.
This counts calendar dates whose 1991–2020 normal high reaches 90°F. It is a smaller number than the 90°F+ day counts in the monthly table above, which measure how often the threshold was actually crossed in a typical year. A date can average 88°F and still exceed 90°F in half of all years.
The freezing stretch
The normal low stays at or below 32°F into April 24, then returns to freezing around October 10, covering 198 dates in all.
Derived from the normal daily minimum. This is a different measure from the 50%-probability frost dates shown elsewhere on this page, which come from NOAA’s frost product.
Where the wet dates fall
The likeliest wet date is August 4, when 38% of years recorded at least a hundredth of an inch. The driest is April 28 at 9%. Summed across the calendar, that is about 64 wet dates a year.
The widest day
June 10 carries the biggest normal gap between afternoon and dawn, 42°F between the normal high and the normal low.
Look up any date
Any date's 1991–2020 normal for Thoreau.
Where Thoreau Stands Nationally
Winters bite deep and often: the normal nightly low dips to freezing or below on around 198 nights a year, placing this among the most frost-prone tenth of ranked stations.
Day-to-night contrast is extreme by national standards — the widest normal daily swing reaches about 42°F, sharper than nine in ten ranked stations see.
Thoreau earns 2 nationally notable standings (outer quintiles) against 6,860 NOAA 1991–2020 normals stations; only those extremes render.
Monthly Precipitation
Average monthly rainfall and snowfall
Snow: 8.9"
5.2 days with precipitation
Snow: 5.9"
4.0 days with precipitation
Snow: 2.3"
3.4 days with precipitation
Snow: 1.4"
2.9 days with precipitation
Snow: 1.1"
3.0 days with precipitation
2.8 days with precipitation
9.9 days with precipitation
12.1 days with precipitation
7.4 days with precipitation
Snow: 1.1"
4.8 days with precipitation
Snow: 3.4"
3.3 days with precipitation
Snow: 6.5"
3.9 days with precipitation
Thoreau runs a summer-peaked wet season
41% of Thoreau's yearly precipitation falls in June, July and August alone, against the 25% an evenly spread year would give those three months. The wettest month is August at 2.4", on a 40.5°F seasonal spread. Warm-season convection and, across the Southwest, the North American monsoon produce this shape: rain arrives in short heavy bursts during the hottest part of the year rather than as long cool-season soaking.
- Wettest three months: August, July, September, taking 47% of the annual total between them.
- Driest month: June at 0.6".
- Winter share: 19% falls in December, January and February.
Shares are computed from this station's own 1991-2020 monthly precipitation normals. A summer-peaked label means the June-August share reaches 35%; it describes timing across an average year, not any single season, and says nothing about how heavy an individual storm can be.
Thoreau is dry, and what does fall arrives gently
Only about 63 days a year record measurable precipitation here, 17% of the calendar, and they carry 12.2" between them. At roughly 0.20 inches on an average wet day, this is not the damp drizzle of a marine climate; it is an arid record in which precipitation is both uncommon and light when it appears.
The wettest month by count is August at about 12 wet days; the driest is June at about 3.
A low per-event average in a dry record is a statement about typical days only. Arid regions can still take a large share of a year's total from a single convective storm, which a normal cannot show.
A wet day is one recording at least 0.01 inches. These are 1991-2020 normals: they describe an average year, not the extremes within it.
Winter brings real snow to Thoreau
Thoreau averages 30.6 inches of snowfall a year, with January the snowiest month on the normals, spread across roughly 16 days that record measurable snow. That is depth accumulating on the ground, which is why it can exceed the annual precipitation figure: precipitation counts the liquid the snow melts down to, and fresh snow is mostly air.
- Annual snowfall: 30.6 inches of depth.
- Days recording measurable snow: about 16 a year.
- At a rough ten-to-one melt ratio, snow accounts for on the order of 25% of the year's precipitation.
NOAA 1991-2020 normals. The ten-to-one ratio is a convention, not a measurement: real ratios vary with temperature, so treat the share as an order of magnitude rather than an exact split.
Frost Dates & Growing Season
First Fall Freeze
September 26
50% probability date
Last Spring Freeze
May 29
50% probability date
Growing Season
120 days
Heating & Cooling Degree Days
Annual totals indicate energy demand for heating and cooling
Heating Degree Days
5,990
Higher = more heating needed
Cooling Degree Days
424
Higher = more cooling needed
Warmest Month
July
Coldest Month
January
Nationwide similar cities
Other rankable U.S. places outside NM closest to Thoreau on two NOAA annual-normal axes (mean temperature and annual precipitation). Chip rows use distinct link sets.
Closest by average temperature
Nearest out-of-state peers by annual mean temperature (50°F here).
- Ashland, OH 50°F · 0.0°F off
- Baring, WA 50°F · 0.0°F off
- Benton Harbor, MI 50°F · 0.0°F off
- Big Springs, NE 50°F · 0.0°F off
Closest by annual precipitation
Nearest out-of-state peers by annual precipitation (12.3" here), excluding temperature-peer places.
- Chicken, AK 12.3" · 0.0" off
- Los Angeles, CA 12.2" · 0.0" off
- Chester, MT 12.3" · 0.0" off
- Odessa, TX 12.3" · 0.0" off
Snow and freeze rhythm
When cold and snow define Thoreau
heating led · dry · mid swing
Thoreau's energy balance leans toward cold weather: 5,990 annual heating degree days against 424 for cooling. Its 40.5°F seasonal range still makes the monthly rows more useful than the annual average alone.
Only about 120 days are frost-free in a normal year. That short interval is consistent with the cold-season signal, but the measure does not predict the exact first or last freeze in any one year.
-
1. Thoreau coldest normal
January
The monthly mean of 30°F (-1°C) sits near freezing, so cold nights and above-freezing afternoons share the same month.
-
2. Thoreau typical freeze period
January through December
The station reports average freezing days from January through December.
-
3. Thoreau snow peak
January
Thoreau averages 30.6 inches of snow a year, with January the snowiest month on the normals.
Questions about Thoreau's climate
How much snow does Thoreau get? ▼
How cold does Thoreau get in winter? ▼
How much energy does heating and cooling require in Thoreau? ▼
Data Sources
Data source: NOAA U.S. Climate Normals v1.0.1 (1991-2020). All figures on this page are from Thoreau's primary station: THOREAU 12 SE (USC00298834). For informational purposes only.
Place identity: U.S. Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer places. The 2024 Census Gazetteer identifies the exact name-and-state match as a census-designated place (GEOID 3577530), not an incorporated municipality. Match rule for Thoreau: exact normalized name + state only, no fuzzy expansion, so nearby differently spelled facilities stay unmatched.
On this page every temperature, precipitation, and derived score for Thoreau comes from its primary NOAA station record. No figure on this page is typed in by an editor - each value is rendered from NOAA 1991-2020 U.S. Climate Normals. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 1991–2020 normals.