Albuquerque Weather Records and Averages

The Albuquerque metropolitan area is largely situated in the Rio Grande Valley and on the mesas and piedmont slopes which rise either side of the valley floor. The Rio Grande flows from north to south through the area. The Sandia and Manzano Mountains rise abruptly at the eastern edge of the city with Tijeras Canyon separating the two ranges. West of the city the land gradually rises to the Continental Divide, some 90 miles away.

The climate of Albuquerque is considered arid continental with abundant sunshine, low humidity, scant precipitation, and a wide yet tolerable seasonal range of temperatures. Sunny days and low humidity are renowned features of the climate. More than 75% of the daylight hours have sunshine, even in the winter months. 

Small amounts of precipitation fall in the winter, much of it as snow. Snowfalls of an inch or more occur about four times a year in the Rio Grande Valley, while the mountains receive substantial snowfall more often. Snow seldom remains on the ground more than 24 hours in the city, however snow cover on the east slopes of the Sandias is sufficient for skiing during most winters.

Nearly half of the annual precipitation in Albuquerque results from afternoon and evening thunderstorms during the summer. Thunderstorm frequency increases rapidly around July 1st, peaks during August, then tapers off by the end of September. Thunderstorms are usually brief, sometimes produce heavy rainfall, and often noticeably lower afternoon temperatures.

Temperatures in Albuquerque are those characteristic of a dry, high altitude, continental climate. The average daily range of temperature is relatively high, but extreme temperatures are rare. High temperatures during the winter are near 50 degrees with only a few days on which the temperature fails to rise above the freezing mark. During the summer, daytime highs are about 90 degrees, but with the large daily range, the nights usually are comfortably cool.

Temperature + Precipitation

Monthly Averages Daily Extremes Monthly Extremes Max. Temp. Min. Temp.
Temperatures
 in F
Max. Min. Avg High Date of 
daily extreme
 high
Low Date of
daily extreme
low
Highest
Avg
Year Lowest
Avg
Year # Days >=
90 F
# Days <=
32 F
# Days <=
32 F
# Days <=
0 F
January 47.2 23.5 35.3 69 31/1971 -17 07/1971 43.5 2003 26.4 1937 0.0 1.7 27.8 0.2
February 53.2 27.8 40.5 76 25/1986 -12 09/1933 49.2 1995 29.1 1964 0.0 0.5 20.9 0.1
March 60.7 33.1 46.9 85 26/1971 6 02/1922 53.6 1972 40.9 1948 0.0 0.1 14.5 0.0
April 70.0 40.9 55.4 89 23/1921 18 02/1936 62.8 1954 48.7 1933 0.0 0.0 3.6 0.0
May 79.4 50.2 64.8 98 27/1951 28 01/1967 71.5 1996 58.0 1935 2.2 0.0 0.2 0.0
June 89.4 59.4 74.4 107 26/1994 37 01/1919 80.3 1994 69.3 1965 16.3 0.0 0.0 0.0
July 91.7 64.7 78.2 105 14/1979 50 05/1921 83.8 2003 74.1 1921 21.8 0.0 0.0 0.0
August 88.8 63.0 76.0 101 01/1934 50 28/1992 79.8 1995 71.7 1928 15.4 0.0 0.0 0.0
September 82.3 56.2 69.2 100 05/1979 35 30/1928 74.4 1998 64.7 2006 3.6 0.0 0.0 0.0
October 71.0 44.1 57.5 91 05/1979 3 04/1947 65.8 1950 51.5 1984 0.0 0.0 1.6 0.0
November 57.0 31.6 44.3 77 06/1975 -7 29/1976 50.8 1995 37.8 1929 0.0 0.2 16.1 0.0
December 47.6 24.5 36.0 72 04/1958 -8 25/1924 42.3 1950 29.9 1924 0.0 1.5 27.4 0.1
Annual 69.9 43.3 56.6 107 1994/06/26 -17 1971/01/07 59.5 1954 53.8 1930 59.4 3.9 112.0 0.3
Winter 49.3 25.3 37.3 76 1986/02/25 -17 1971/01/07 43.1 1995 31.3 1964 0.0 3.7 76.0 0.3
Spring 70.0 41.4 55.7 98 1951/05/27 6 1922/03/02 61.0 1989 51.7 1933 2.2 0.1 18.2 0.0
Summer 90.0 62.4 76.2 107 1994/06/26 37 1919/06/01 80.3 1994 72.2 1921 53.5 0.0 0.0 0.0
Fall 70.1 43.9 57.0 100 1979/09/05 -7 1976/11/29 60.9 1954 53.1 1930 3.7 0.2 17.7 0.0

Precipitation

Total Snowfall
Avg. High Year Low Year 1 Day Max. >=
0.01 in.
>=
0.10 in.
>=
0.50 in.
>=
1.00 in.
Mean High Year
in. in. - in. - in. dd/yyyy
or
yyyymmdd
# Days # Days # Days # Days in. in. -
January 0.37 2.16 1916 0.00 1919 0.87 25/1962 4 1 0 0 2.2 9.5 1973
February 0.40 1.82 1993 0.00 1925 0.90 23/2004 4 2 0 0 1.9 10.3 1986
March 0.51 2.34 1998 0.00 1916 1.45 15/1998 4 2 0 0 1.5 13.9 1973
April 0.54 3.00 2004 0.00 1921 1.92 03/2004 3 2 0 0 0.5 8.1 1973
May 0.62 3.56 1929 0.00 1916 1.15 12/1929 4 2 0 0 0.0 2.0 1935
June 0.62 3.81 1933 0.00 1923 1.91 17/1933 4 2 0 0 0.0 0.0 1932
July 1.43 4.45 1930 0.08 1980 1.82 13/1930 9 4 1 0 0.0 0.0 1932
August 1.47 3.74 1935 0.00 1962 1.75 14/1980 9 4 1 0 0.0 0.0 1931
September 0.96 3.31 1929 0.00 1957 1.92 24/1955 6 3 0 0 0.0 0.0 1931
October 0.89 3.08 1972 0.00 1917 1.74 22/1969 5 2 0 0 0.1 3.2 1986
November 0.45 1.93 1991 0.00 1916 1.41 15/1991 3 1 0 0 1.0 9.2 1940
December 0.47 2.43 1914 0.00 1916 0.81 29/1958 4 2 0 0 2.4 20.8 2006
Annual 8.72 15.88 1941 3.29 1917 1.92 1955/09/24 58 25 4 1 9.6 34.3 1973
Winter 1.24 3.92 1993 0.12 1947 0.90 2004/02/23 11 4 0 0 6.5 27.7 2007
Spring 1.67 5.27 1941 0.04 1996 1.92 2004/04/03 12 5 1 0 2.1 22.0 1973
Summer 3.52 8.43 2006 0.99 1917 1.91 1933/06/17 21 9 2 0 0.0 0.0 1932
Fall 2.30 5.61 1929 0.39 1956 1.92 1955/09/24 14 6 1 0 1.1 9.2 1940
New Mexico averages and extremes in precipitation and temperature and Top 10 U.S climate extremes.
Winter = Dec, Jan, and Feb Spring = Mar, Apr, and May
Summer = Jun, Jul, and Aug. Fall = Sep, Oct, and Nov
Data period is 1914 - 2010, Albuquerque Airport.  Source: Western Regional Climate Center