White Sands has chilly winters and hot summers, with very little rain
A typical July afternoon reaches 95°, a January night drops to 28°, and about 1 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in White Sands at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about White Sands’s climate
Read from where White Sands sits among New Mexico’s towns. The page puts what stands out first.
Living with White Sands’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a driveway, a furnace and a free afternoon.
241 frost-free days. The last frost comes by Mar 12 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Nov 13.
About 1" in a normal winter.
Months averaging under 55° run from November through March. Heating is 57% of the year’s heating-and-cooling load.
About 109 days a year reach 90°, and July afternoons average 95°.
The nicest months are April and October. 5.9 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Normals are averages. Ice storms, nor’easters, floods and heat waves are on the natural hazards page.
Natural hazards →What a year in White Sands feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
1 inches of snow, 9 of rain and melt
July is the wettest month and April the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 47 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
About 1.0" in a normal year, so most winters see none.
About 241 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 12 and the first by November 13.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
90° days by month
Average days at 90° or more
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in White Sands averaged 1.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.7°).
A bigger shift than in 92% of U.S. towns.
Change by month
How White Sands compares
Against every U.S. town on TownTapestry, each counted once, with its place in New Mexico.
White Sands 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 | 57° | 28° | 0.5" | 0.4" | 3 | 0 | 38° – 46° |
| February | 62° | 32° | 0.4" | 0.1" | 3 | 0 | 42° – 52° |
| March | 70° | 38° | 0.2" | 0 | 2 | 0 | 50° – 59° |
| April | 78° | 45° | 0.2" | 0 | 2 | 0 | 56° – 66° |
| May | 86° | 53° | 0.4" | 0 | 2 | 0 | 67° – 74° |
| June | 95° | 63° | 0.6" | 0 | 3 | 0 | 74° – 83° |
| July | 95° | 67° | 2.0" | 0 | 9 | 0 | 77° – 85° |
| August | 93° | 66° | 1.8" | 0 | 8 | 0 | 76° – 84° |
| September | 87° | 59° | 1.5" | 0 | 5 | 0 | 68° – 77° |
| October | 78° | 47° | 0.9" | 0.1" | 4 | 0 | 60° – 67° |
| November | 66° | 35° | 0.4" | 0 | 3 | 0 | 45° – 57° |
| December | 56° | 28° | 0.6" | 0.4" | 3 | 0 | 38° – 46° |
| Year | 77° | 47° | 9.5" | 1.0" | 47 | 1 |
Heating and cooling a home in White Sands
57% of the work is heating.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. Source: NOAA station normals.
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 45° to 57°. October is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Common questions about White Sands’s climate
What is the coldest month in White Sands?
January, with a typical high of 57° and a low of 28°.
What is the hottest month in White Sands?
June, with a typical high of 95° and a low of 63°. About 109 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does White Sands get?
About 1 inches in a normal winter, most of it in January.
When is the first frost in White Sands?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by November 13, and the last spring frost by March 12.
What is the rainiest month in White Sands?
July, with 2.0 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 9 inches.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in White Sands.
Your answer becomes a post in Town Square.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for White Sands itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at State Univ, NM (18 mi) away. Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000. Today’s forecast: National Weather Service.