Cliff, NM climate
Cliff has chilly winters and hot summers, with very little rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 93°, a January night drops to 23°, and about 2 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Cliff feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Cliff 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 | 58° | 23° | 0.9" | 1.3" | 4 | 0 | 36° – 45° |
| February | 62° | 26° | 0.9" | 0.3" | 4 | 0 | 39° – 49° |
| March | 69° | 30° | 0.5" | 0 | 3 | 0 | 44° – 55° |
| April | 76° | 36° | 0.2" | 0 | 1 | 0 | 50° – 61° |
| May | 84° | 43° | 0.4" | 0 | 2 | 0 | 60° – 68° |
| June | 94° | 53° | 0.5" | 0 | 3 | 0 | 68° – 77° |
| July | 93° | 61° | 2.6" | 0 | 8 | 0 | 74° – 80° |
| August | 91° | 60° | 2.5" | 0 | 9 | 0 | 73° – 81° |
| September | 87° | 53° | 1.7" | 0 | 5 | 0 | 65° – 73° |
| October | 78° | 40° | 1.0" | 0.1" | 4 | 0 | 56° – 64° |
| November | 66° | 28° | 0.8" | 0 | 3 | 0 | 41° – 55° |
| December | 57° | 23° | 1.1" | 0.2" | 4 | 0 | 36° – 43° |
| Year | 76° | 40° | 13.0" | 1.9" | 51 | 0 |
“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 Cliff
Cliff gets 13 inches of rain and melted snow a year. July is the wettest month and April the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 51 days a year.
About 157 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 9 and the first one by October 15. That leaves about 157 frost-free days for gardens, shorter than 74% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Cliff
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Cliff, 83% of that work is heating and 17% is cooling, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner.
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.
How Cliff 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 Cliff averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.1°). The shift is larger than in 57% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Cliff’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 41° to 55°. July is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Common questions about Cliff’s climate
What is the coldest month in Cliff?
January, with a typical high of 58° and a low of 23°.
What is the hottest month in Cliff?
June, with a typical high of 94° and a low of 53°. About 65 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Cliff get?
About 2 inches in a normal winter, most of it in January.
When is the first frost in Cliff?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 15, and the last spring frost by May 9.
What is the rainiest month in Cliff?
July, with 2.6 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 13 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Cliff itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Buckhorn, NM (8 mi, snow) and Cliff 11 Se, NM (11 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.