Albuquerque, NM climate
Albuquerque has chilly winters and hot summers, with very little rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 94°, a January night drops to 22°, and about 12 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Albuquerque feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Albuquerque weather by month
Average highs, lows, rain and snow for every month, from NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 51° | 22° | 0.4" | 1.6" | 4 | 31° – 41° |
| February | 57° | 26° | 0.4" | 3.3" | 3 | 37° – 46° |
| March | 66° | 32° | 0.5" | 0.7" | 4 | 45° – 54° |
| April | 73° | 39° | 0.5" | 0.3" | 4 | 51° – 60° |
| May | 82° | 47° | 0.4" | 0 | 5 | 60° – 69° |
| June | 92° | 56° | 0.5" | 0 | 3 | 70° – 78° |
| July | 94° | 62° | 1.6" | 0 | 10 | 75° – 82° |
| August | 91° | 61° | 1.5" | 0 | 9 | 73° – 80° |
| September | 85° | 53° | 1.2" | 0 | 6 | 63° – 72° |
| October | 73° | 40° | 0.9" | 0.6" | 5 | 54° – 61° |
| November | 60° | 29° | 0.6" | 0.9" | 3 | 38° – 51° |
| December | 50° | 22° | 0.5" | 4.7" | 5 | 31° – 40° |
| Year | 73° | 41° | 9.1" | 12.1" | 62 |
“Wet days” have at least 0.01" of rain or melted snow. “Snow on ground” counts days with 1" or more. The 30-year range is the coldest and warmest that month’s average temperature got between 1991 and 2020.
Rain and snow in Albuquerque
Albuquerque gets 9 inches of rain and melted snow a year. July is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 62 days a year.
About 179 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 23 and the first one by October 20. That leaves about 179 frost-free days for gardens, longer than 51% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Albuquerque
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Albuquerque, 78% of that work is heating and 22% is cooling.
Degree days measure how far each day’s average temperature falls below or rises above 65°, added up over a year. Source: NOAA station normals.
Albuquerque and its neighbors
Albuquerque borders 8 towns with climate data. January nights across them vary by 1.4°. North Valley has the coldest January nights (21°) and South Valley the hottest July afternoons (94°). Albuquerque’s January low is 22° and its July high 94°.
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value.
How Albuquerque compares
Compared with every U.S. town and city on TownTapestry, each counted once.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Albuquerque averaged 2.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+3.2°). The shift is larger than in 92% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Albuquerque’s spot on NOAA’s grid
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average, and real years wander around it. November swings the most: between 1991 and 2020 its average temperature ranged from 38° to 51°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Common questions about Albuquerque’s climate
What is the coldest month in Albuquerque?
December, with a typical high of 50° and a low of 22°.
What is the hottest month in Albuquerque?
July, with a typical high of 94° and a low of 62°. About 106 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Albuquerque get?
About 12 inches in a normal winter, most of it in December.
When is the first frost in Albuquerque?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 20, and the last spring frost by April 23.
What is the rainiest month in Albuquerque?
July, with 1.6 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 9 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Albuquerque itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Albuquerque 4.6 E, NM (6 mi, snow) and Rio Grande Nature Ctr, NM (3 mi, frost, heat and degree days). Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000.