For me, spring wins hands-down in ABQ, with fall coming in a solid #2.
I would rank this like this:
#1 - Spring
#2 - Fall
(some distance between #1 / #2 and the next two)
#3 - Summer (but only very slightly over #4)
#4 - Winter (which is such a better winter season than so many in the US and is underrated as a nice time of the year in ABQ, as compared to my stomping grounds in the Milwaukee area, "winter" in ABQ is more like "late autumn" here).
Explanations:
1. -----Spring is awesome in ABQ. It starts very early (usually late February) and lasts quite a while...usually until early May. High temps typically range from the 50s to the high-70s / low-80s depending upon the time of the season, and lows typically are in the 40s - 50s.
You get those first blasts of nice, warm, sunny 60s and 70s in March (followed up by even nicer warm temps in April) with the glowing sunshine (my personal probably favorite weather is around the 65 - 80 degree range with a strong sun) while much of the rest of the country wallows in cold
Buds come out early / leaves come out early / hummingbirds come out early, days are not only warm but long / golf is perfect / lilacs bloom, fruit trees start to grow their fruit, etc., etc., etc.
I know there are a few very windy / Gusty N' Dusty days, but overall, spring is rather mild, dry, and sunny. I will take the windy few spring days in ABQ over much other "spring weather" that occurs in most other places in the US.
Yes, I love spring in ABQ.
2. -----Fall seems to be most folks' favorite season and for good reason. Weather-wise, it seems to me to be very similar to spring; nearly pefect temps in those 50s through low-80s range, dry, sunny, and cool/crisp nights. Falls seem to run quite long too...kind of late September through late November. It is nice still having mild fall weather in much of November where so many places by November are so cold already again. Mornings can usually be quite cold especially mid-October through the end of fall which is great for an early morning chill before the warm, strong desert sun comes out to re-heat the land.
Fall is a unique month in that towards the middle of it, you often get days where you can use your car's heater in the AM on the way into work and by your lunch break and especially your after-work drive home, you can use your car's AC.
Chile roasting, the balloons and the Balloon Fiesta, the State Fair, etc., etc., etc. There is much to love about the month of fall in ABQ.
3. -----Summer is hot and dry in ABQ, usually starting with a first blast of heat I noticed usually in early-to-mid-May. Usually it'll be still quite mild and temperate through early May and then all of a sudden...bam!...the first 90+ temps just roll in. ABQ's temps for highs are similar to those of Prescott AZ's or Lubbock TX's in the summertime - usually not quite triple digits for highs, but yes, a long, long run of mid-to-upper 90s with some low-100s sprinkled in through much of the city.
However, summer in ABQ is HEAVEN at about 7am. The sun has come up over the mountains, and there is this pleasant, cooled-desert smell in the air. I LOVE in ABQ in - say June (the hottest month in ABQ usually because the monsoons haven't come in yet) - sitting out on a patio with a coffee and a newspaper between like 6:30a - 8a in the 65 to 70 degree morning, just listening to the dogs barking, the birds chirping, etc. Sure, that NM sun will broil things for some hours that day, however, at that moment, while the swamp is shut off in the house, things are good.
Transversely, ABQ evenings once the sun has been set for an hour or two are also very pleasant. While still sometimes quite warm-even-hot from the heat of the day, the temps plummet down once the sun sets and because of the low humidity, unlike much of the US (which is humid), you don't contend with the mosquitoes, airborne biting insects, etc., that hinder outdoor patio dwelling in so many other areas of the nation. Nothing like sitting on the patio on a 79 degree evening in the summer (after a 97 degree high'd day) with a cold cerveza looking at the vast, open NM sky and stars.
4. ----Winter is actually more like "3b" for me. I gave summer the edge because of a) the early mornings and late evenings, and b) I like things growing and winter is the one time of the year - albeit a relatively short one in comparison to much of the US - when things are dormant / dead, etc., growing wise.
However, winter is so nice in ABQ compared to much of the nation. A few ways to describe ABQ's winter:
i. Winter is about the mildest winter you can have in a city in the US that STILL HAS a winter / four seasons.
You still get freezing temps in the nighttimes / mornings and about 10 inches of snow annually in the city, however, it is almost unheard of to have a day where the temps do not rise above freezing (usually only a handful of days where the temps to not rise above 40 degrees) and almost equally unheard of to have snow stick on the ground more than a day or so (unless it is the winter of 06-2007!
).
ii. ABQ can support an outdoor college football bowl game in the winter, a feat that would not be possible in most northern locals in the US (without a dome). However, along with sites like Birmingham, etc., ABQ is one of the coolest winter climates to be able to still pull it off (again, you still DO get winter in ABQ).
iii. ABQ really does have a climate - as cliched as it is - that often you can ski in the mornings (in the Sandias or via a road trip to SF / Taos an hour or two away) and golf in the afternoons.
To me, +45 degrees (and even better +50 degrees) with a strong sunshine is extremely comfortable outdoors weather. 52 degrees (a common ABQ winter high) with the high desert strong sun feels more like 62.
ABQ gets so many winter days with highs in the 45 to 57 degree range with a strong sun which is really good golfing weather. Throw on a light coat or sweater / sweatshirt and it is really crisp and pleasant to play in.
The more I write about winter (and summer for that matter), the more I wish I could throw them back into the top 2 too!!
Overall, to me, I am very comfortable and find it ideal with daytime temps in the 45 to 95 degree range (prefer most 65 to 80) with a strong sunshine and ABQ just has a massive bulk of them, making their seasons all very enjoyable.
Welcome to City-Data.com forum! Make sure to register - it's free and very quick! You have to register before you can post and participate in our discussions with 700,000 other registered members. User profiles and some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your free account you will be able to customize many options, you will have the full access to over 15,000 posts/day about local topics and you will see fewer ads. 
Favorite Season In ABQ?
Linear Mode
