Climate · Raton

Raton, NM climate

Raton has chilly winters and warm summers, with very little rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 85°, a January night drops to 15°, and about 25 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.

NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decade
July high
85°
101st coolest of 528 New Mexico towns
January low
15°
59th coldest of 528 New Mexico towns
Rain + melted snow
16 in
102nd wettest of 528 New Mexico towns
Snow a winter
25 in
114th snowiest of 506 New Mexico towns
A normal year

What a year in Raton feels like

Winter

48° / 16°
Typical high / low · 8 days with an inch or more of snow

Spring

64° / 31°
Typical high / low · Last frost around May 19

Summer

83° / 51°
Typical high / low · 11 days reach 90° in a normal year

Fall

66° / 34°
Typical high / low · First frost around Sep 29
Best months to be outsideJunAugSepHighs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more
Month by month

Raton weather by month

Average highs, lows, rain and snow for every month, from NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals.

MonthHighLowRain + meltSnowWet days30-yr range
January47°15°0.4" 3.5"3 25° – 36°
February49°18°0.3" 3.7"3 27° – 40°
March57°24°0.9" 5.4"5 36° – 46°
April63°30°1.1" 1.9"5 41° – 52°
May72°39°1.7" 0.3"8 51° – 62°
June82°48°1.7" 0.1"9 60° – 69°
July85°54°2.9" 011 66° – 73°
August83°52°2.8" 012 64° – 71°
September77°45°1.6" 07 56° – 65°
October67°33°1.1" 1.2"4 44° – 55°
November55°23°0.5" 4.8"3 32° – 46°
December46°16°0.5" 4.5"3 26° – 35°
Year65°33°15.5"25.4"72

“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 & snow

Rain and snow in Raton

Raton gets 16 inches of rain and melted snow a year. July is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 72 days a year.

16 in
Rain + melted snow a year
Less rain than 94% of U.S. towns
25 in
Snow in a normal winter
More snow than 50% of U.S. towns
72 days
With rain or snow (0.01"+)

Rain + melted snow by month

Inches of water
2.9"

Snowfall by month

Inches of snow
5.4"
Frost & the growing season

About 132 frost-free days a year

In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 19 and the first one by September 29. That leaves about 132 frost-free days for gardens, shorter than 94% of U.S. towns.

191
nights at or below 32° in a normal year
4
nights below 0° in a normal year
11
days that reach 90° in a normal year

Freezing nights by month

Average nights at or below 32°

90° days by month

Average days at 90° or more
Heating & cooling

Heating and cooling a home in Raton

Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Raton, 97% of that work is heating and 3% is cooling, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner.

97%heating
6,181 heating degree daysMore heating than 60% of U.S. towns
223 cooling degree daysLess cooling than 95% of U.S. towns

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.

Compared with other towns

How Raton compares

Summer heat85° July high
Hotter than 51% of U.S. towns101st coolest of 528 New Mexico towns
Winter cold15° January low
Colder than 69% of U.S. towns59th coldest of 528 New Mexico towns
Precipitation16" a year
Drier than 94% of U.S. towns102nd wettest of 528 New Mexico towns
Snow25" a winter
Snowier than 50% of U.S. towns114th snowiest of 506 New Mexico towns
Growing season132 frost-free days
Shorter than 94% of U.S. towns84th shortest of 518 New Mexico towns

Compared with every U.S. town and city on TownTapestry, each counted once.

Then and now

Warmer than it used to be

+1.1°1991–2020 average vs. the 20th century (1901–2000)

The last 30 years in Raton averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.6°). The shift is smaller than in 64% of U.S. towns.

❄️ Winter+1.2° now 32°, was 31°
🌷 Spring+1.5° now 48°, was 46°
☀️ Summer+0.8° now 67°, was 66°
🍂 Fall+0.8° now 50°, was 49°

Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Raton’s spot on NOAA’s grid

Year to year

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 32° to 46°. July is the most reliable, staying within 7°.

Coldest to warmest month in 30 yearsNormal
Questions

Common questions about Raton’s climate

What is the coldest month in Raton?

January, with a typical high of 47° and a low of 15°.

What is the hottest month in Raton?

July, with a typical high of 85° and a low of 54°. About 11 days a year reach 90°.

How much snow does Raton get?

About 25 inches in a normal winter, most of it in March.

When is the first frost in Raton?

In half of years the first 32° night comes by September 29, and the last spring frost by May 19.

What is the rainiest month in Raton?

July, with 2.9 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 16 inches.

Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Raton itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Raton Krtn Radio, NM (1 mi) away. Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000.

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