Las Cruces, NM climate
Las Cruces has mild winters and hot summers, with very little rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 96°, a January night drops to 28°, and about 1 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Las Cruces feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Las Cruces 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° | 28° | 0.5" | 0.4" | 3 | 0 | 38° – 48° |
| February | 64° | 33° | 0.4" | 0.1" | 3 | 0 | 43° – 53° |
| March | 71° | 38° | 0.2" | 0 | 2 | 0 | 50° – 60° |
| April | 79° | 45° | 0.2" | 0 | 2 | 0 | 57° – 67° |
| May | 88° | 53° | 0.4" | 0 | 2 | 0 | 68° – 75° |
| June | 97° | 63° | 0.6" | 0 | 3 | 0 | 75° – 84° |
| July | 96° | 68° | 2.0" | 0 | 9 | 0 | 78° – 85° |
| August | 94° | 67° | 1.7" | 0 | 8 | 0 | 77° – 84° |
| September | 88° | 60° | 1.4" | 0 | 5 | 0 | 69° – 78° |
| October | 79° | 47° | 0.8" | 0.1" | 4 | 0 | 61° – 68° |
| November | 67° | 35° | 0.4" | 0 | 3 | 0 | 46° – 58° |
| December | 58° | 28° | 0.6" | 0.4" | 3 | 0 | 38° – 47° |
| Year | 78° | 47° | 9.2" | 1.0" | 47 | 1 |
“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 Las Cruces
Las Cruces gets 9 inches of rain and melted snow a year. July is the wettest month and April the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 47 days a year.
About 241 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 12 and the first one by November 13. That leaves about 241 frost-free days for gardens, longer than 89% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Las Cruces
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Las Cruces, 57% of that work is heating and 43% 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.
Las Cruces and its neighbors
Las Cruces borders 3 towns with climate data. January nights across them vary by 0.8°. Mesilla has both the coldest January nights (28°) and the hottest July afternoons (96°). Las Cruces’s January low is 28° and its July high 96°.
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value.
How Las Cruces 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 Las Cruces averaged 1.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.5°). The shift is larger than in 89% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Las Cruces’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 46° to 58°. October is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Common questions about Las Cruces’s climate
What is the coldest month in Las Cruces?
January, with a typical high of 58° and a low of 28°.
What is the hottest month in Las Cruces?
June, with a typical high of 97° and a low of 63°. About 109 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Las Cruces get?
About 1 inches in a normal winter, most of it in January.
When is the first frost in Las Cruces?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by November 13, and the last spring frost by March 12.
What is the rainiest month in Las Cruces?
July, with 2.0 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 9 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Las Cruces itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at State Univ, NM (4 mi) away. Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000.