Taos, NM climate
Taos has cold winters and warm summers, with very little rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 84°, a January night drops to 11°, and about 28 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Taos feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Taos 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 | 43° | 11° | 0.5" | 6.0" | 4 | 19° – 33° |
| February | 46° | 17° | 0.5" | 3.3" | 4 | 25° – 38° |
| March | 55° | 23° | 0.7" | 4.0" | 4 | 35° – 44° |
| April | 62° | 29° | 0.8" | 1.9" | 4 | 40° – 50° |
| May | 71° | 37° | 1.1" | 0 | 5 | 50° – 59° |
| June | 82° | 45° | 0.8" | 0 | 5 | 59° – 68° |
| July | 84° | 50° | 2.0" | 0 | 7 | 64° – 72° |
| August | 82° | 49° | 2.0" | 0 | 10 | 62° – 69° |
| September | 76° | 42° | 1.4" | 0 | 6 | 53° – 62° |
| October | 66° | 31° | 1.1" | 1.4" | 5 | 44° – 53° |
| November | 53° | 20° | 0.7" | 2.8" | 4 | 29° – 43° |
| December | 42° | 12° | 0.8" | 9.0" | 4 | 21° – 34° |
| Year | 63° | 30° | 12.5" | 28.4" | 61 |
“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 Taos
Taos gets 13 inches of rain and melted snow a year. July is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 61 days a year.
About 136 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 19 and the first one by October 3. That leaves about 136 frost-free days for gardens, shorter than 92% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Taos
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Taos, 95% of that work is heating and 5% 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.
Taos and its neighbors
Taos borders 2 towns with climate data. January nights across them vary by 1.0°. Ranchos de Taos has both the coldest January nights (12°) and the hottest July afternoons (85°). Taos’s January low is 11° and its July high 84°.
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value.
How Taos 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 Taos averaged 1.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.8°). The shift is larger than in 73% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Taos’s spot on NOAA’s grid
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average, and real years wander around it. January swings the most: between 1991 and 2020 its average temperature ranged from 19° to 33°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Common questions about Taos’s climate
What is the coldest month in Taos?
January, with a typical high of 43° and a low of 11°.
What is the hottest month in Taos?
July, with a typical high of 84° and a low of 50°. About 23 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Taos get?
About 28 inches in a normal winter, most of it in December.
When is the first frost in Taos?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 3, and the last spring frost by May 19.
What is the rainiest month in Taos?
July, with 2.0 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 13 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Taos itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Taos, NM (1 mi) away. Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000.