Rio Rancho in Winter
In winter (December, January and February), Rio Rancho sees average daytime highs around 47°F and overnight lows near 26°F, with 2.0 in of precipitation over about 12 wet days across the season. It is the coldest season of the year and the 3rd-wettest season.
Over the season highs climb from about 48°F in early December to 54°F by late February. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 54% of the time across winter, and the air most often feels dry.
Winter is Rio Rancho's weakest season of the year to visit on our travel score. For the whole year in context, see Rio Rancho's year-round climate.
- Avg daytime high
- 47°F
- coldest season of the year
- Avg overnight low
- 26°F
- Precipitation
- 2.0 in
- 12 wet days
- Avg wind
- 5 mph
- Travel score
- 1.9
- weakest season of the year
- Months
- Dec · Jan · Feb
Temperature in Rio Rancho in Winter
Over the season highs climb from about 48°F in early December to 54°F by late February.
A typical winter day in Rio Rancho reaches about 47°F and drops to 26°F overnight. The warmest of the three months is February, the coolest January.
How winter really feels in Rio Rancho
Once humidity and wind are folded in, winter brings about 0 days that feel above 90°F and 90 that feel at or below 32°F.
The story in winter is cold — wind chill drags the overnight "feels like" below the raw low.
Rio Rancho weather by month
How the three winter months (December, January and February) compare with the rest of the year — the season's months are highlighted.
| Month | High / Low (°F) | Rainfall (inches) | Wet days | Snow days | Daylight (hours) | Travel score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 46° / 25° | 0.6 | 4.2 | 2.4 | 9.9 | 1.3 |
| Feb | 52° / 29° | 0.6 | 3.6 | 1.7 | 10.7 | 3.2 |
| Mar | 60° / 35° | 0.6 | 3.6 | 0.8 | 11.7 | 5.9 |
| Apr | 68° / 42° | 0.6 | 2.8 | 0.4 | 12.9 | 7.7 |
| May | 78° / 51° | 0.7 | 3.2 | 0 | 13.8 | 8.1 |
| Jun | 88° / 61° | 0.4 | 2.3 | 0 | 14.3 | 5.6 |
| Jul | 89° / 66° | 1.2 | 6.6 | 0 | 14.1 | 4.7 |
| Aug | 86° / 64° | 1.1 | 6.2 | 0 | 13.3 | 5.6 |
| Sep | 80° / 57° | 1.1 | 4.4 | 0 | 12.2 | 7.8 |
| Oct | 69° / 45° | 1.1 | 4.1 | 0.2 | 11.1 | 7.8 |
| Nov | 55° / 33° | 0.6 | 3.2 | 0.9 | 10.1 | 4.5 |
| Dec | 45° / 25° | 0.8 | 3.8 | 2.3 | 9.7 | 1.2 |
Cloud cover in Winter
The sky is clear or mostly clear about 54% of the time across winter.
Chance of precipitation in Winter
Rio Rancho gets around 2.0 in of rain and snow over 12 wet days across winter. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.
Humidity in Winter
Most of winter feels dry — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.
Wind in Winter
Winds average 5 mph across winter.
Sunrise & sunset in Winter
Daylight runs from about 9 h 48 min in early December to 11 h 06 min by late February. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.
Solar energy in Winter
Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day across winter, about 3.6 kWh/m².
Is winter a good time to visit Rio Rancho?
Our two travel scores rate winter for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal), averaged across the three months.
winter is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Rio Rancho.
What to pack for Rio Rancho in Winter
From winter's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.
In winter, Rio Rancho sees daytime highs around 47°F and nights near 26°F. Pack a warm layer and a heavy coat. About 12 days see rain.
UV index in Rio Rancho in Winter
Clear-sky midday UV across winter averages around 4 — enough to warrant sun protection. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.
Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Rio Rancho peaks around June 23 at about 12 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 19 at about 3 (moderate).
The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 11 months of the year.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UV index (midday) | 4 | 5 | 6 | 8 | 9 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 9 | 6 | 4 | 3 |
| Level | Moderate | Moderate | High | Very high | Very high | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Very high | High | Moderate | Moderate |
| UV index (midday) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 4 | Moderate |
| Feb | 5 | Moderate |
| Mar | 6 | High |
| Apr | 8 | Very high |
| May | 9 | Very high |
| Jun | 12 | Extreme |
| Jul | 12 | Extreme |
| Aug | 11 | Extreme |
| Sep | 9 | Very high |
| Oct | 6 | High |
| Nov | 4 | Moderate |
| Dec | 3 | Moderate |
Where is Rio Rancho?
Rio Rancho sits at 35.2°N, 106.7°W, 5,282 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Enchanted Hills, 8.1 mi away.
Topography around Rio Rancho
How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 2, 10 and 50 miles of Rio Rancho.
Within 2 miles, the terrain around Rio Rancho has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 469 ft around an average of 5,246 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 3,156 ft; within 50 miles, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 6,522 ft.
The land around Rio Rancho is covered by artificial surfaces (68%) and bare terrain (20%) within 2 miles, grassland (39%), artificial surfaces (29%) and bare terrain (20%) within 10 miles, and grassland (55%) and trees (20%) within 50 miles.
United States travel facts
- Power plugs
- Type A / B
- 120 V · 60 Hz
- Prices
- ≈ 100% of US
- price level, 2025
- GDP per capita
- $90,027
- 2025
- Happiness
- 6.8 / 10
- World Happiness, 2025
- Safe drinking water
- 98%
- of population, 2024
- Homicide rate
- 5.8
- per 100k, 2023
- Road deaths
- 12.7
- per 100k/yr, 2019
- Income group
- High
- World Bank
- Religion
Sources: World Bank, US State Department, World Happiness Report, WHO/UNICEF, EF EPI, CIA World Factbook.
Data sources
Temperature, precipitation, cloud, humidity, wind and solar figures are a 1991–2020 climatology for Rio Rancho (35.2334°, -106.6645°, elevation 5,282 ft), computed from hourly ERA5 reanalysis — contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information. Sun figures are astronomical calculations, not observations. City data © GeoNames, CC BY 4.0. Map outlines from Natural Earth (public domain); interactive map © Google.