Zip 88002 (White Sands, NM) Climate

White Sands, NM is an area of New Mexico known for its dry, arid climate. The summers are hot and sunny with average temperatures ranging from the mid 80s to 90s Fahrenheit, and winters are mild with temperatures staying between 40-60 degrees Fahrenheit. The area receives very little precipitation throughout the year, averaging only 8 inches per year, which makes it one of the driest regions in the United States. While the weather can be quite consistent due to its location at a high elevation in the desert, it can still get cold in winter and extremely hot during summer months.

White Sands (zip 88002), New Mexico gets 11 inches of rain, on average, per year. The US average is 38 inches of rain per year.

White Sands (zip 88002) averages 3 inches of snow per year. The US average is 28 inches of snow per year.

On average, there are 293 sunny days per year in White Sands (zip 88002). The US average is 205 sunny days.

White Sands (zip 88002) gets some kind of precipitation, on average, 46 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 95 degrees
Winter Low: the January low is 23
Rain: averages 11 inches of rain a year
Snow: averages 3 inches of snow a year

Bestplaces Comfort Index

The annual BestPlaces Comfort Index for the 88002 zip code is 7.9 (10=best), which means it is more comfortable than most places in New Mexico.

7.2 Summer - 7.3 Winter

April, October and September are the most pleasant months in the 88002 zip code, while December and January are the least comfortable months.

Climate	White Sands, New Mexico	United States
	Unlock	38.1 in.
	2.7 in.	Unlock
	Unlock	106.2 days
	293 days	Unlock
	94.5°	85.8°
	Unlock	21.7°
	7.9	Unlock
	Unlock	4.3
	4336 ft.	Unlock

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.

June is the hottest month for the 88002 zip code with an average high temperature of 94.8°, which ranks it as one of the hottest places in New Mexico. In the 88002 zip code, there are 2 comfortable months with high temperatures in the range of 70-85°. The most pleasant months of the year for the 88002 zip code are October, April and March.

In the 88002 zip code, there are 93.6 days annually when the high temperature is over 90°, which is hotter than most places in New Mexico.

January has the coldest nighttime temperatures for the 88002 zip code with an average of 23.4°. This is warmer than most places in New Mexico.

In the 88002 zip code, there are 111.7 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below freezing, which is warmer than most places in New Mexico.

In the 88002 zip code, there are 0.1 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below zero°, which is warmer than most places in New Mexico.

Humidity in the 88002 zip code is generally quite low and comfortable. There are few days during the summer when the humidity becomes unpleasant. The most humid months (but still comfortable) are August, July and September.

August is the wettest month in the 88002 zip code with 2.5 inches of rain, and the driest month is March with 0.2 inches. The wettest season is Autumn with 48% of yearly precipitation and 9% occurs in Summer, which is the driest season. The annual rainfall of 11.2 inches in the 88002 zip code means that it is drier than most places in New Mexico.

August is the rainiest month in the 88002 zip code with 8.4 days of rain, and April is the driest month with only 1.5 rainy days. There are 45.6 rainy days annually in the 88002 zip code, which is less rainy than most places in New Mexico. The rainiest season is Autumn when it rains 43% of the time and the driest is Summer with only a 13% chance of a rainy day.

An annual snowfall of 2.7 inches in the 88002 zip code means that it is one of the least snowy places in New Mexico. December is the snowiest month in the 88002 zip code with 1.2 inches of snow, and 2 months of the year have significant snowfall.

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