Does it snow in New Mexico?
While New Mexico is located in the southwest of the United States and generally has scorching summers, some areas in New Mexico do experience a snow season. The traditional snow season starts in November and goes until March with the northern and central regions of New Mexico experiencing the most snowfall. These regions are likely to get up to 1 metre of snow per season.
January is the coldest and also the snowiest month to visit New Mexico with temperatures often dropping down to -26°C. During January, there can be up to 20 centimetres of snowfall, particularly in the northern parts of the state. February is the second snowiest month with 13 centimetres expected and December rounds out the top three with 10 centimetres expected.
Where does it snow in New Mexico?
If you're looking for snow in New Mexico, the northern regions are the best place to go. The southern region of New Mexico is also likely to see snow but it's not enough to be considered a snowy part of the state as some areas may receive no snowfall at all. These are the best places to experience snow in New Mexico:
Red River is considered to be the snowiest place in New Mexico, enjoying 1 metre of snow over an average of 62 days per year.
Santa Fe sees around 56 centimetres of snow per year over a span of 36 days on average.
Taos Ski Valley is one of the best places to experience snow in New Mexico as you can enjoy a whole range of snow sports from November through to April.
Ski Apache is another ski resort that's well worth a visit if you love snow.
Angel Fire is another great destination to visit during the snow season. It also has its own ski resort that's open from December to March.
What's winter like in New Mexico?
New Mexico enjoys a fairly pleasant, arid to semi-arid climate that experiences snow during winter and hot weather during summer. The average temperatures in winter can differ depending on the location but generally, winter is quite cold at around 4°C. The northern and central parts of the state will experience freezing temperatures and snowfall with the season running from November to March.
The months of December, January, and February average around 8 hours of sunshine per day and are among the lowest when it comes to expected rainfall, each month only recording an average of 5 days. This means there's plenty of time to enjoy the great outdoors but make sure you rug up before you do because the temperature can reach a chilly -9°C in some areas, especially overnight.
Average temperatures in New Mexico
MONTH | AVERAGE HIGH | AVERAGE LOW |
March to May | 16°C | 0°C |
June to August | 27°C | 11°C |
September to November | 17°C | 2°C |
December to February | 6°C | -7°C |
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