Ruidoso Downs, NM climate
Ruidoso Downs has chilly winters and pleasant summers, with very little rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 20°, and about 26 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Ruidoso Downs feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Ruidoso Downs 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 | 50° | 20° | 0.6" | 7.9" | 5 | 30° – 39° |
| February | 53° | 22° | 0.6" | 5.5" | 5 | 33° – 42° |
| March | 59° | 27° | 0.6" | 2.2" | 5 | 40° – 48° |
| April | 66° | 33° | 0.4" | 0.6" | 4 | 45° – 54° |
| May | 74° | 40° | 0.8" | 0 | 5 | 54° – 63° |
| June | 83° | 49° | 1.4" | 0 | 9 | 62° – 69° |
| July | 83° | 53° | 3.2" | 0 | 15 | 64° – 71° |
| August | 81° | 52° | 3.3" | 0 | 15 | 64° – 70° |
| September | 76° | 45° | 2.2" | 0 | 9 | 57° – 64° |
| October | 68° | 35° | 1.2" | 1.0" | 7 | 49° – 56° |
| November | 57° | 26° | 0.5" | 1.8" | 4 | 34° – 47° |
| December | 49° | 20° | 0.9" | 7.2" | 5 | 30° – 40° |
| Year | 66° | 35° | 15.7" | 26.2" | 86 |
“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 Ruidoso Downs
Ruidoso Downs gets 16 inches of rain and melted snow a year. August is the wettest month and April the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 86 days a year.
About 147 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 11 and the first one by October 5. That leaves about 147 frost-free days for gardens, shorter than 83% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Ruidoso Downs
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Ruidoso Downs, 97% of that work is heating and 3% 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 Ruidoso Downs 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 Ruidoso Downs averaged 1.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.7°). The shift is larger than in 88% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Ruidoso Downs’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 34° to 47°. August is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Common questions about Ruidoso Downs’s climate
What is the coldest month in Ruidoso Downs?
December, with a typical high of 49° and a low of 20°.
What is the hottest month in Ruidoso Downs?
June, with a typical high of 83° and a low of 49°. About 6 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Ruidoso Downs get?
About 26 inches in a normal winter, most of it in January.
When is the first frost in Ruidoso Downs?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 5, and the last spring frost by May 11.
What is the rainiest month in Ruidoso Downs?
August, with 3.3 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 16 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Ruidoso Downs itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Ruidoso, NM (4 mi) away. Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000.