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The best time to visit Roswell

The answer is late April to early June, or late September through October. The numbers below are why — real NOAA climate normals for the Roswell station, not a travel site's impression of the weather.

A round fire pit on the back patio beside raised vegetable beds, with mature trees and a block wall behind.
By Lana, host of Lana’s Desert HavenLast updated

Roswell sits at about 3,600 feet in the Pecos valley, which gives it a high-desert climate: hot summers, mild winters, very little rain, and a big daily swing between the afternoon high and the overnight low. That swing is the thing most visitors are not ready for — a June day that hits 93°F drops to around 63°F overnight, and you will want a layer for the evening even in midsummer.

Roswell temperature by month

Average monthly high temperature, low temperature and rainfall for Roswell, New Mexico, from NOAA climate normals.
MonthAverage highAverage lowRainfall
January55°F26°F0.38 in
February61°F31°F0.42 in
March68°F37°F0.51 in
April77°F45°F0.61 in
May85°F55°F1.25 in
June93°F63°F1.73 in
July94°F67°F2.06 in
August92°F66°F1.97 in
September86°F59°F1.53 in
October76°F47°F1.23 in
November64°F34°F0.58 in
December55°F26°F0.64 in

Checked 16 August 2026. Hours, prices and dates change — confirm with NOAA NCEI monthly climate normals, station USW00023009 (Roswell Industrial Air Park) before you go.

Figures are long-term monthly normals for NOAA station USW00023009, Roswell Industrial Air Park, converted from the published tenths of a degree and hundredths of an inch. They describe a typical year, not a forecast.

Spring: April to early June — the best window

April averages a high of 77°F and May 85°F, with lows in the 40s and 50s. This is Roswell at its most comfortable: warm enough to swim at Lea Lake by late May, cool enough that a full day walking downtown is pleasant rather than an endurance event, and with the shoulder-season advantage of everything being quiet.

Rainfall is minimal — 0.61 inches in April, 1.25 in May. The trade-off is wind: spring in southeastern New Mexico is genuinely windy, and a blustery afternoon is normal.

Summer: June to August — hot, busy and wet-ish

July averages a high of 94°F and August 92°F. This is also the wettest stretch of the year, at 2.06 inches in July and 1.97 in August — the North American monsoon brings short, dramatic afternoon thunderstorms that clear as quickly as they arrive.

It is the busiest season, because it is school holidays and because the UFO Festival falls around the Fourth of July. It is entirely doable if you shape the day around the heat: out early, indoors or under shade from about noon to four, out again in the evening. That is exactly what a deep covered patio and a shaded lawn are for, and it is why the middle of the day is the argument for a house over a hotel room with a family.

Autumn: late September to October — the other good window

September still averages 86°F and October drops to 76°F with lows around 47°F. Arguably the single best month here is October: warm days, cool nights, thinning crowds, and the start of fall migration at Bitter Lake National Wildlife Refuge, which is when that place is at its most spectacular.

There is also a practical bonus for New Mexico residents: state park day-use fees are waived for residents from October 1 through April 30.

Winter: November to March — quiet and underrated

January and December both average a high of 55°F with lows around 26°F, so it freezes overnight and thaws by mid-morning. Rainfall is negligible. Days are often bright, still and completely empty of other visitors.

Swimming is off the table and some seasonal facilities at the state park close, but the museums, downtown and the refuge all work fine. If you want Roswell without anybody else in it, this is when to come — and it is a good stretch for a longer stay, when having a fire pit and a proper kitchen matters more than a beach.

So when should you come?

  • For the best all-round weather: late April to early June, or October.
  • For swimming at Bottomless Lakes: late May to early September, when the rentals and the seasonal facilities are running.
  • For the UFO Festival: around the Fourth of July — and book far earlier than you think you need to.
  • For quiet and low prices: November to March.
  • For birds: from September, as fall migration begins.

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