Costilla, NM climate
Costilla has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers, with very little rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to 8°, and about 62 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Costilla feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Costilla 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 | 38° | 8° | 0.8" | 12.7" | 4 | 14 | 16° – 29° |
| February | 42° | 12° | 0.8" | 11.7" | 4 | 9 | 21° – 34° |
| March | 51° | 20° | 1.0" | 8.0" | 4 | 4 | 32° – 41° |
| April | 59° | 26° | 1.1" | 4.3" | 5 | 1 | 38° – 47° |
| May | 68° | 34° | 1.2" | 0.7" | 5 | 0 | 47° – 56° |
| June | 79° | 42° | 0.8" | 0 | 4 | 0 | 56° – 64° |
| July | 82° | 48° | 1.9" | 0 | 9 | 0 | 62° – 69° |
| August | 79° | 46° | 2.2" | 0 | 10 | 0 | 60° – 67° |
| September | 73° | 39° | 1.6" | 0 | 6 | 0 | 51° – 59° |
| October | 62° | 28° | 1.2" | 3.4" | 4 | 0 | 42° – 50° |
| November | 49° | 18° | 0.9" | 6.8" | 4 | 3 | 25° – 40° |
| December | 39° | 8° | 0.9" | 13.9" | 5 | 11 | 18° – 29° |
| Year | 60° | 27° | 14.3" | 61.5" | 64 | 42 |
“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 Costilla
Costilla gets 14 inches of rain and melted snow a year. August is the wettest month and June the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 64 days a year. Snow covers the ground about 42 days of the year.
About 115 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 31 and the first one by September 23. That leaves about 115 frost-free days for gardens, shorter than 98% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Costilla
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Costilla, 99% of that work is heating and 1% 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 Costilla 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 Costilla averaged 1.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.9°). The shift is larger than in 73% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Costilla’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 25° to 40°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Common questions about Costilla’s climate
What is the coldest month in Costilla?
January, with a typical high of 38° and a low of 8°.
What is the hottest month in Costilla?
July, with a typical high of 82° and a low of 48°. About 2 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Costilla get?
About 62 inches in a normal winter, most of it in December.
When is the first frost in Costilla?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by September 23, and the last spring frost by May 31.
What is the rainiest month in Costilla?
August, with 2.2 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 14 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Costilla itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Cerro, NM (17 mi, snow) and San Luis 1 S, CO (16 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.