Sandia Heights, NM climate
Sandia Heights has chilly winters and warm summers, with very little rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 87°, a January night drops to 22°, and about 12 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Sandia Heights feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Sandia Heights 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 | 45° | 22° | 0.9" | 1.6" | 4 | 28° – 39° |
| February | 50° | 25° | 0.9" | 3.3" | 3 | 33° – 43° |
| March | 58° | 30° | 1.1" | 0.7" | 4 | 40° – 50° |
| April | 65° | 35° | 0.8" | 0.3" | 4 | 46° – 55° |
| May | 75° | 44° | 0.7" | 0 | 5 | 55° – 65° |
| June | 86° | 53° | 0.7" | 0 | 3 | 65° – 73° |
| July | 87° | 58° | 2.6" | 0 | 10 | 70° – 76° |
| August | 84° | 57° | 2.4" | 0 | 9 | 67° – 74° |
| September | 78° | 50° | 1.5" | 0 | 6 | 59° – 68° |
| October | 67° | 40° | 1.3" | 0.6" | 5 | 50° – 58° |
| November | 54° | 29° | 0.9" | 0.9" | 3 | 34° – 48° |
| December | 45° | 22° | 1.2" | 4.7" | 5 | 29° – 38° |
| Year | 66° | 39° | 14.9" | 12.1" | 62 |
“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 Sandia Heights
Sandia Heights gets 15 inches of rain and melted snow a year. July is the wettest month and May the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 62 days a year.
About 184 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 21 and the first one by October 23. That leaves about 184 frost-free days for gardens, longer than 57% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Sandia Heights
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Sandia Heights, 82% of that work is heating and 18% 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.
Sandia Heights and its neighbors
Sandia Heights borders 1 town with climate data. January nights across them vary by 0.6°. Albuquerque has both the coldest January nights (22°) and the hottest July afternoons (94°). Sandia Heights’s January low is 22° and its July high 87°.
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value.
How Sandia Heights 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 Sandia Heights averaged 1.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+3.2°). The shift is larger than in 85% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Sandia Heights’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 48°. July is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Common questions about Sandia Heights’s climate
What is the coldest month in Sandia Heights?
January, with a typical high of 45° and a low of 22°.
What is the hottest month in Sandia Heights?
July, with a typical high of 87° and a low of 58°. About 41 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Sandia Heights get?
About 12 inches in a normal winter, most of it in December.
When is the first frost in Sandia Heights?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 23, and the last spring frost by April 21.
What is the rainiest month in Sandia Heights?
July, with 2.6 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 15 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Sandia Heights itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Albuquerque 4.6 E, NM (4 mi, snow) and Albuquerque Foothills Ne, NM (3 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.