Albuquerque in...May (Las Cruces, Santa Fe, Grants: hotel, house, living)

[EnjoyEP]

First, my usual full disclosure / disclaimer, etc.: I am a fellow who lived in Albuquerque from 2003-July 2007 and moved away in July. I miss my old hometown and all that it offers a tremendous deal. I realize that ABQ isn't for "everyone"...and fortunately so for those that live there and love there. They get it all to themselves.

I started previously a series with posts describing what I love about ABQ each and every month of the year, as I think that ABQ is a real treasure as a city in the US in that I believe it offers some outstanding YEAR-ROUND very quality living. I did so first with posts describing what I loved in February and March and April:

http://www.city-data.com/forum/albuq...-february.html

http://www.city-data.com/forum/albuq...que-march.html

http://www.city-data.com/forum/albuq...que-april.html

Now, to May. As always, I invite others to chime in as openly and freely as they would like.

Albuquerque is great in...May

***April is my favorite month of the year in Albuquerque, however, May is its warmer/at-times hotter brother that is pretty darn remarkable too.

Here are some great things about May:

The first blasts of hot desert air

I have tracked weather in ABQ now since a number of months before I moved there, and almost every year, without fail, it seems like the first "hot mass" of air that hits ABQ happens in the 2nd or 3rd week / kind of middle-of-the-month in May.

I always kind of looked forward to this. Through much of March, nearly all of April, and most of early May, you have overall quite enjoyable daytime high temps in the 50s, 60s, 70s, and low-80s. Nights are overall quite enjoyable, although some still are kind of brisk (but generally in a more pleasant brisk way).

While I think the "windy days" "bad weather problem" in ABQ is greatly overblown, if there is one complaint of the March through early May timeframe most would have, it usually involves the wind.

However, once you get that little burst of a few days into the 90s - you feel the bake of the sun and the hot radiation against your house - it kind of feels like a hot Albuquerque afternoon is *supposed* to feel in the summertime.

I often describe this as it is like the burning stove that is Phoenix finally kind of spills a hare of its heat over and up to Albuquerque. Certainly not the 110s you'll experience in Phoenix on these days (and their heat starts much earlier of course), but just a little glimpse of it.

Usually it was always kind of exciting to walk out into the 2pm 92 degree ABQ baking sun and feel the heart of hot summer. Throwing on the swamp cooler, etc.

To me, the temps are more pleasant in the 60s, 70s, and 80s in ABQ, however, a little of that early season heat was always kind of exciting.

The other nice thing about this is that unlike June/July, usually the heat will only last a few days and then get back into the 70s and 80s again.

I see today and yesterday ABQ has been in that 90s for highs mark (yesterday barely at 90, today probably well into the 90s), but then a remarkable cooldown and temps only for highs in the 70s by week's end.

Also, being the El Paso / South-central New Mexico lover that I am, I always loved hitting El Paso/Las Cruces for a weekend during this stretch too, when it'd be 93 for a high in ABQ and near-100 in El Paso. Just sitting under a palm tree at my hotel's or a family acquaintances' pool soaking up the shaded burning Chihuahuan Desert rays and having a few Tecates or Carta Blancas with limes. Good stuff.

Wine festival: Memorial Day weekend

I attended the wine festival with out-of-town Denver relatives a few years at the Balloon Fiesta Park over Memorial Day weekend and it is a really, really neat event. A little crowded, but great food, great New Mexican wines, etc. Just a highly recommended event for anyone to check out.

Blooms on the cacti

While so much flower / tree blooming occurs in ABQ from late February through March into early May, many of the cacti don't kick in flower-wise until late April / early May, and I still to this day find all of the flowers on the cacti to be beautiful. Coming from the Midwest (eg: not cacti country), one's perception of cacti is to be anything but flower-laden. However, that surely isn't the case, and to see cacti in bloom is so pretty.

Long days for golf

May evenings around 5pm, 6pm are just perfect for teeing off and playing 9 holes of golf. I loved going to Arroyo Del Oso right near my house right after work (5pm or so) and playing 9. Temps start to fall, setting sun views against the mesa and the Sandias, etc. - just perfect in May.

Temps

I prefer April and October's temps in ABQ as their temps - generally 60s, 70s, and low 80s for highs and high-40s or 50s for lows - with the sunny dry air is perfect for me. However, while May sometimes is slightly warmer-than-ideal, it isn't too warm at all. Typically temps are in the 70s and 80s for highs (with the exception of the first-point mentioned bursts of summertime heat) with lows more in the 60s or 50s for the majority of the nights (with maybe the exception of an hour or so at the coolest around 5am), and the temps are just great for outdoors activities, especially in the morning or early evening.

I also enjoy the hot sun at this time of the year in ABQ as it is so, so, so dry in ABQ right now - little rain / very low humidities; I love the May - June stretch before the monsoons hit (although I love those too! ).

Albuquerque Isotope day games

A few years ago, largely due to higher heat levels during the daytime in June, July, and August, the Isotopes largely went away altogether with day games in those months.

However, in May, you can still hit day games.

I would always go to one or two 'Topes day May games per year - especially with a good friend from the Midwest who'd visit.

These were just perfect. Would pay the way, $5, to get outfield grass berm seats. Sit under that beautifully strong, warm NM sunshine, enjoy an afternoon high under that baking sun of 80 or 81, throw down 2 big cold Isotopes Slammin' Ambers and some nachos or a taco, and watch nine fun innings of Triple A baseball.

I love beautiful Isotopes Stadium and love the promotions, the fan interaction, etc. It is done so well in ABQ. And I love the passion and tradition that is baseball in the Duke City.

It is great now seeing the Florida Marlins doing well, and you see their roster, and I am like "hey, I have seen 1/2 or more of these guys when they were doing well for the Isotopes."

Fun stuff, you get much better / closer seats than MLB, you enjoy the near-perfect baseball weather that ABQ offers, you enjoy a gorgeous stadium, and you do it all for a fraction of an MLB ticket price. Can save money then for important things like the aforementioned comida / cervezas!!!

Horse N' Angel / Kelly's patios

While most days in April are really nice for this to, it is hard to beat sitting on the Horse N' Angel tavern or Kelly's patio in early May on a 75 or 82 degree afternoon and soak down some icy cold suds (responsibly of course!) and chit-chat, unwind, and people watch.

Swimming pool season kicks in

While with a heated pool you'd be able to swim in ABQ for a much longer period of time due to the year-round strong sun and the very mild daytime temps, due to the strong evening cooldowns, traditional / non-heated pools really have too chilly water temps to enjoy until May. But once May hits, and swimming pool season is here, what a great time to head out to the pool with a book or your kids, etc., grab some rays, enjoy the smells of the grilling going on around the pool, etc.

Fruit tree growth

So many great fruit trees in ABQ like peaches, pears, nectarines, bing cherries, plums, apricots, etc., and it is so fun in May to watch the fruit really start to come in, develop, etc., if you have fruit trees of your own especially. You've worked hard at maintaining them, watering them, etc., and then to see the luscious fruit start to take in for another year, a very rewarding feeling (until maturity). Unfortunately, this is also the time of the year to start doing every thing to ward off the pesky birds / insects, etc., and prevent them from trying to get to the fruit as it grows before you are able to!!

I am sure I am forgetting other elements that perhaps I will still add. But May, I miss ye!!! What a great time of year in ABQ.

[ABQSunseeker]

Well, EnjoyEP, I get to read another one of your great monthly posts. To me May is sublime here (except for the frigid day in the 40s last week!). Sunny, long days, and long twilights. A light-blessed month.
The roses are blooming in full in my yard. Birds singing.
Time for shorts and t's and barbecues.

[EnjoyEP]

Originally Posted by ABQSunseeker

Well, EnjoyEP, I get to read another one of your great monthly posts. ...
... The roses are blooming in full in my yard.

Thanks so much for the kind words, Sunseeker - you are too kind.

Yep, the rose bushes just do so well in ABQ. I always loved the rose bushes in ABQ.

In the Heights and the West Side, you usually saw them hopping out in early April, and I would always take various rose bush photos for my Mom up here in WI and send them to her on April 15 (tax day!), as she loves flowers/gardening, to give her hope and warmth until things came up for her in WI!

The great thing too about the roses is that most of the years I was in ABQ, in the "thermal zone" of the city - the Heights and West Side, etc., the roses didn't "die off" for the year until mid-November, so you got their splendid color for such a long, pleasant time.

Anyway, thanks for reminding me of the roses Sunseeker, as they should be added to both April / May as a real treat in ABQ!!

[WasSoggyInSeattle]

The ROSES! So beautiful!!! I can't wait to try to my hand at roses down there. Up here they get this thing called "blackspot" and while they bloom beautifully the nekkid little things won't have a leaf on them!!!

Mr Soggy & I found Abq (& Santa Fe) in May exemplary!!! Terrific weather (despite the rain on Thurs/Fri) - warm, sunny... cold drinks, who could ask for more?!?!

[ziaAirmac]

The gardens really come alive this month, and the days are perfect for shorts and a Tee. The aforementioned Wine Festival is a great time, but I'd add the Civil War weekend at El Rancho De Las Golondrinas, with authentic reinactments and Heritage day in Corrales. Wear layers in May, you never know what you'll run into during the day's activities.

[yukon]

The weather in May has been interesting, to say the least. Ranges from 60 to 90 in less than 48 hours. That's pretty impressive. Did anyone notice that we had a furious cold front two weeks in a row, on the same day both weeks? [insert Twilight Zone music here]

[hoppybunn]

Yup weather here has been very interesting..It was pretty cold yesterday in the 50's not to mention a little hail in the morning

[mortimer]

Sweating like a pig on May 19th and 20 with summer temperatures.

Fresh snow on the Sandias on May 22nd.

Radio reports from Grants saying winter driving conditions with blowing snow on I-40.

[EnjoyEP]

Originally Posted by mortimer

Fresh snow on the Sandias on May 22nd.

I see that at 10am Mountain time, it is only 45 degrees in ABQ. That is nuts!!

Our friend jrod - the warm weather-loving guy that he is - probably picked *the worst* weekend after February possibly to travel to ABQ! Oh well, I see temps back in the 70s Saturday and mid/upper 80s on Sunday/Monday.

Originally Posted by mortimer

Radio reports from Grants saying winter driving conditions with blowing snow on I-40.

That is absolutely nuts.

[ABQSunseeker]

Yikes, after crowing about how sublime May is, I see we're in the 2nd sudden, and extreme cool down of the month. Snow on the Sandia peaks, hail in the city, winds, temps in the 40s. I never realized May could be so changeable here. Feels like Feb. today again. Poor Jrod , what a show ABQ is putting on ...