Little Walnut, NM climate
Little Walnut has chilly winters and warm summers, with very little rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 86°, a January night drops to 27°, and about 13 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Little Walnut feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Little Walnut 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 | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 53° | 27° | 1.2" | 4.2" | 5 | 35° – 44° |
| February | 56° | 29° | 1.2" | 1.9" | 5 | 38° – 47° |
| March | 63° | 33° | 0.8" | 1.0" | 3 | 42° – 53° |
| April | 70° | 38° | 0.5" | 0.2" | 2 | 48° – 58° |
| May | 78° | 46° | 0.4" | 0 | 2 | 58° – 67° |
| June | 87° | 55° | 0.8" | 0 | 3 | 67° – 75° |
| July | 86° | 60° | 3.0" | 0 | 10 | 71° – 77° |
| August | 84° | 59° | 2.9" | 0 | 10 | 69° – 77° |
| September | 80° | 53° | 1.9" | 0 | 6 | 62° – 70° |
| October | 71° | 42° | 1.0" | 0.1" | 4 | 54° – 61° |
| November | 61° | 32° | 1.0" | 1.1" | 3 | 40° – 54° |
| December | 52° | 26° | 1.6" | 4.6" | 5 | 35° – 43° |
| Year | 70° | 42° | 16.2" | 13.1" | 59 |
“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 Little Walnut
Little Walnut gets 16 inches of rain and melted snow a year. July is the wettest month and May the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 59 days a year.
About 216 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 4 and the first one by November 8. That leaves about 216 frost-free days for gardens, longer than 81% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Little Walnut
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Little Walnut, 72% of that work is heating and 28% 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 Little Walnut 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 Little Walnut averaged 1.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.6°). The shift is larger than in 72% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Little Walnut’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 40° to 54°. July is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Common questions about Little Walnut’s climate
What is the coldest month in Little Walnut?
December, with a typical high of 52° and a low of 26°.
What is the hottest month in Little Walnut?
June, with a typical high of 87° and a low of 55°. About 33 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Little Walnut get?
About 13 inches in a normal winter, most of it in December.
When is the first frost in Little Walnut?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by November 8, and the last spring frost by April 4.
What is the rainiest month in Little Walnut?
July, with 3.0 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 16 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Little Walnut itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at White Signal, NM (19 mi, snow) and Ft Bayard, NM (8 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.