Fort Sumner, NM climate
Fort Sumner has chilly winters and hot summers, with very little rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 93°, a January night drops to 25°, and about 9 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Fort Sumner feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Fort Sumner 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 | 55° | 25° | 0.4" | 3.0" | 3 | 3 | 32° – 44° |
| February | 60° | 28° | 0.4" | 1.3" | 4 | 1 | 39° – 51° |
| March | 67° | 34° | 0.6" | 1.0" | 5 | 1 | 46° – 57° |
| April | 75° | 41° | 0.8" | 0.2" | 4 | 0 | 52° – 63° |
| May | 84° | 51° | 1.2" | 0 | 5 | 0 | 64° – 74° |
| June | 92° | 61° | 1.4" | 0 | 6 | 0 | 72° – 81° |
| July | 93° | 65° | 2.8" | 0 | 8 | 0 | 75° – 84° |
| August | 91° | 64° | 2.3" | 0 | 8 | 0 | 74° – 82° |
| September | 85° | 56° | 1.8" | 0 | 6 | 0 | 65° – 76° |
| October | 75° | 44° | 1.6" | 0.3" | 5 | 0 | 55° – 64° |
| November | 63° | 33° | 0.5" | 0.7" | 3 | 0 | 41° – 54° |
| December | 55° | 25° | 0.5" | 2.6" | 4 | 3 | 33° – 44° |
| Year | 74° | 44° | 14.3" | 9.1" | 62 | 8 |
“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 Fort Sumner
Fort Sumner gets 14 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. Snow covers the ground about 8 days of the year.
About 201 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 9 and the first one by October 30. That leaves about 201 frost-free days for gardens, longer than 73% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Fort Sumner
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Fort Sumner, 70% of that work is heating and 30% 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.
How Fort Sumner 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 Fort Sumner averaged 1.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.8°). The shift is larger than in 77% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Fort Sumner’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 54°. August is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Common questions about Fort Sumner’s climate
What is the coldest month in Fort Sumner?
January, with a typical high of 55° and a low of 25°.
What is the hottest month in Fort Sumner?
July, with a typical high of 93° and a low of 65°. About 68 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Fort Sumner get?
About 9 inches in a normal winter, most of it in January.
When is the first frost in Fort Sumner?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 30, and the last spring frost by April 9.
What is the rainiest month in Fort Sumner?
July, with 2.8 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 14 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Fort Sumner itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Ft Sumner, NM (2 mi) away. Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000.