San Luis, NM climate
San Luis has chilly winters and warm summers, with very little rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 89°, a January night drops to 18°, and about 18 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in San Luis feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
San Luis 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 | 45° | 18° | 0.5" | 4.0" | 4 | 6 | 25° – 37° |
| February | 50° | 23° | 0.5" | 3.0" | 4 | 2 | 30° – 42° |
| March | 59° | 28° | 0.6" | 2.2" | 4 | 0 | 40° – 48° |
| April | 66° | 33° | 0.6" | 1.0" | 4 | 0 | 46° – 54° |
| May | 76° | 42° | 0.6" | 0.1" | 4 | 0 | 55° – 64° |
| June | 87° | 51° | 0.5" | 0 | 3 | 0 | 65° – 73° |
| July | 89° | 58° | 1.7" | 0 | 8 | 0 | 70° – 77° |
| August | 86° | 56° | 1.8" | 0 | 9 | 0 | 68° – 75° |
| September | 80° | 48° | 1.3" | 0 | 6 | 0 | 59° – 67° |
| October | 69° | 36° | 0.9" | 0.9" | 4 | 0 | 49° – 57° |
| November | 55° | 26° | 0.7" | 1.5" | 3 | 0 | 33° – 47° |
| December | 45° | 18° | 0.6" | 5.5" | 4 | 4 | 26° – 37° |
| Year | 67° | 36° | 10.2" | 18.2" | 56 | 14 |
“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 San Luis
San Luis gets 10 inches of rain and melted snow a year. August is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 56 days a year. Snow covers the ground about 14 days of the year.
About 143 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 15 and the first one by October 5. That leaves about 143 frost-free days for gardens, shorter than 87% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in San Luis
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In San Luis, 89% of that work is heating and 11% 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 San Luis 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 San Luis averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.4°). The shift is larger than in 54% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at San Luis’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 33° to 47°. July is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Common questions about San Luis’s climate
What is the coldest month in San Luis?
January, with a typical high of 45° and a low of 18°.
What is the hottest month in San Luis?
July, with a typical high of 89° and a low of 58°. About 42 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does San Luis get?
About 18 inches in a normal winter, most of it in December.
When is the first frost in San Luis?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 5, and the last spring frost by May 15.
What is the rainiest month in San Luis?
August, with 1.8 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 10 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for San Luis itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Torreon Navajo Mission, NM (10 mi) away. Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000.