Belen, NM climate
Belen has chilly winters and hot summers, with very little rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 93°, a January night drops to 23°, and about 5 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Belen feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Belen 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 | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 51° | 23° | 0.4" | 1.5" | 3 | 0 | 32° – 42° |
| February | 57° | 27° | 0.4" | 0.7" | 3 | 0 | 36° – 47° |
| March | 65° | 33° | 0.5" | 0.3" | 3 | 0 | 45° – 54° |
| April | 72° | 39° | 0.5" | 0 | 3 | 0 | 51° – 61° |
| May | 82° | 48° | 0.5" | 0 | 3 | 0 | 61° – 69° |
| June | 92° | 57° | 0.6" | 0 | 3 | 0 | 71° – 78° |
| July | 93° | 64° | 1.7" | 0 | 8 | 0 | 75° – 82° |
| August | 90° | 61° | 1.8" | 0 | 8 | 0 | 73° – 79° |
| September | 84° | 54° | 1.2" | 0 | 6 | 0 | 64° – 73° |
| October | 73° | 41° | 0.9" | 0.4" | 4 | 0 | 54° – 62° |
| November | 60° | 30° | 0.6" | 0.6" | 3 | 0 | 39° – 52° |
| December | 50° | 23° | 0.6" | 1.6" | 3 | 0 | 32° – 41° |
| Year | 73° | 42° | 9.6" | 5.1" | 52 | 2 |
“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 Belen
Belen gets 10 inches of rain and melted snow a year. August is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 52 days a year.
About 178 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 23 and the first one by October 21. That leaves about 178 frost-free days for gardens, longer than 50% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Belen
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Belen, 79% of that work is heating and 21% 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.
Belen and its neighbors
Belen borders 4 towns with climate data. January nights across them vary by 2.0°. Sausal has the coldest January nights (21°) and Jarales the hottest July afternoons (95°). Belen’s January low is 23° and its July high 93°.
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value.
How Belen 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 Belen averaged 1.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.9°). The shift is larger than in 92% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Belen’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 39° to 52°. August is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Common questions about Belen’s climate
What is the coldest month in Belen?
January, with a typical high of 51° and a low of 23°.
What is the hottest month in Belen?
July, with a typical high of 93° and a low of 64°. About 92 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Belen get?
About 5 inches in a normal winter, most of it in December.
When is the first frost in Belen?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 21, and the last spring frost by April 23.
What is the rainiest month in Belen?
August, with 1.8 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 10 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Belen itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Los Lunas 3 Ssw, NM (3 mi) away. Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000.