Zip 87051 (San Rafael, NM) Climate

San Rafael, NM experiences a semi-arid climate with hot and dry summers and mild winters. In the summer, temperatures can reach into the mid-90s F (30+ C) while winter temperatures usually stay above freezing. Rainfall is limited in San Rafael, averaging just 8.2 inches per year which typically comes in brief afternoon thunderstorms during the warmer months of the year. The area has low humidity levels which helps make the warm temperatures more bearable.

San Rafael (zip 87051), New Mexico gets 16 inches of rain, on average, per year. The US average is 38 inches of rain per year.

San Rafael (zip 87051) averages 44 inches of snow per year. The US average is 28 inches of snow per year.

On average, there are 278 sunny days per year in San Rafael (zip 87051). The US average is 205 sunny days.

San Rafael (zip 87051) gets some kind of precipitation, on average, 66 days per year. Precipitation is rain, snow, sleet, or hail that falls to the ground. In order for precipitation to be counted you have to get at least .01 inches on the ground to measure.

Weather Highlights

Summer High: the July high is around 82 degrees
Winter Low: the January low is 13
Rain: averages 16 inches of rain a year
Snow: averages 44 inches of snow a year

Bestplaces Comfort Index

The annual BestPlaces Comfort Index for the 87051 zip code is 7.2 (10=best), which means it is one of the least comfortable places in New Mexico.

9 Summer - 5.4 Winter

June, August and July are the most pleasant months in the 87051 zip code, while January and December are the least comfortable months.

Climate	San Rafael, New Mexico	United States
	16.3 in.	38.1 in.
	43.7 in.	27.8 in.
	65.5 days	106.2 days
	278 days	205 days
	81.5°	85.8°
	12.7°	21.7°
	7.2	7
	5.8	4.3
	8305 ft.	2443 ft.

Climate

YOU SHOULD KNOW

Many people confuse weather and climate but they are different. Weather is the conditions of the atmosphere over a short period of time, and climate is how the atmosphere is over long periods of time.

Weather is how the atmosphere is behaving and its effects upon life and human activities. Weather can change from minute-to-minute. Most people think of weather in terms of temperature, humidity, precipitation, cloudiness, brightness, visibility, wind, and atmospheric pressure.

Climate is the description of the long-term pattern of weather in a place. Climate can mean the average weather for a particular region and time period taken over 30 years. Climate is the average of weather over time.

July is the hottest month for the 87051 zip code with an average high temperature of 81.5°, which ranks it as one of the coolest places in New Mexico. In the 87051 zip code, there are 4 comfortable months with high temperatures in the range of 70-85°. The most pleasant months of the year for the 87051 zip code are August, June and July.

In the 87051 zip code, there are 2.6 days annually when the high temperature is over 90°, which is one of the coolest places in New Mexico.

January has the coldest nighttime temperatures for the 87051 zip code with an average of 12.7°. This is one of the coldest places in New Mexico.

In the 87051 zip code, there are 192.3 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below freezing, which is one of the coldest places in New Mexico.

In the 87051 zip code, there are 10.0 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below zero°, which is one of the coldest places in New Mexico.

Humidity is low in the 87051 zip code, and some people might find the dryness to be uncomfortable. Days with noticeable humidity are rare throughout the year. A very dry climate can lead to cracked, itchy skin and dry eyes.

August is the wettest month in the 87051 zip code with 2.9 inches of rain, and the driest month is June with 0.6 inches. The wettest season is Autumn with 34% of yearly precipitation and 20% occurs in Summer, which is the driest season. The annual rainfall of 16.3 inches in the 87051 zip code means that it is wetter than most places in New Mexico.

August is the rainiest month in the 87051 zip code with 11.5 days of rain, and June is the driest month with only 3.0 rainy days. There are 65.5 rainy days annually in the 87051 zip code, which is rainier than most places in New Mexico. The rainiest season is Autumn when it rains 37% of the time and the driest is Summer with only a 18% chance of a rainy day.

An annual snowfall of 43.7 inches in the 87051 zip code means that it is one of the snowiest places in New Mexico. January is the snowiest month in the 87051 zip code with 10.7 inches of snow, and 8 months of the year have significant snowfall.

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