Anywhere in the greener lower elevation mountains with Las Cruces temps?

[NoMansLands]

For those of you from Michigan that might miss a wee bit a Michigan Spring, the view of my backyard this morning, the Rio Grande of my town at the edge of my property. Sunny and bright, we've had some very different weather the last 3 years. Two winters that felt more like Spring with temps in the 40's in January quite often, very little snow, and then the winter from HELLO!
The cloudy days seem to be much less here than they were in years past. Today there isn't a cloud in the sky, and it will be 70 again. But...! We had almost 3 months this winter straight that it didn't get above freezing night or day.

Thanks for sharing all your pics! Wish I had a good pic of the snow pile from this winter because it wasn't melting even a tad with those never ending freezing months. I'd drive over and take a pic from a mall parking lot where they piled it high and it's still not melted, but I'm still in my pj's.

Glad to hear some Michigan people love NM, jimminnm, and Fordjim.

We were considering becoming expats in Puerto Vallarta, but it seems the cartels have moved into that area too. So immersing ourselves in an area which is 50% latino won't bother us a bit, in fact, we would enjoy the diversity of NM with Native Americans, Latinos, and the rest of the mix.

I'll take another pic when the buds open up and there's leaves!

[lurtsman]

You're right NML about the difference with Colorado Weather. I lived in the Midwest, and now live in Colorado. We get a real winter, and we get some blizzards. If you go to New Mexico (but not Santa Fe) you won't have the kind of winter events we get. That has quite a bit to do with elevation, and being more Northern makes it both colder and increases the summer to winter variance.

Aim for elevations around 5000 feet. NM poverty isn't bad at all, compared to Detroit. Not even the same ball park.

IMO New Mexico is one of the greatest states in the country. The low humidity will make the summer heat much nicer, and the strong sun rays (less atmosphere) will make it feel much warmer in winter when compared to the exact same temperature in MI.

We decided to live in Colorado Springs, but Denver and Albuquerque were locations 2 and 3 on our list.

Edit: In my opinion, the best think about living in the Midwest was the Spring melt, but unfortunately it also brought flooding. If you live in New Mexico/Colorado, you get the melt much more often and it does not leading to flooding. Note, New Mexico has far less snow than either Colorado or MI, so it won't melt all that often, but it really goes away fast. "Fast" of course is used comparatively to the midwest where it sticks around for several months like an unemployed relative.

[Bird Watcher]

Looking for retirement in Northern NM in beautiful area with cultural attractions, less traffic (currently live near Washington, DC, in Northern Virginia--tired of shoveling snow in winter and hot, humid, summers. Born in Alamogordo,NM, but like the cultural amenities around Santa Fe and Albuquerque. As an artist, I like areas where there is respect for artists and crafts people and galleries, etc.
Wondering if we could divide time between Albuquerque area and Santa Fe area. Any suggestions or comments will be welcome and appreciated!

[deb8997]

having lived in NJ all my life with the exception of 5 years living in Surprise AZ which I loved so much, had it not been for husbands illness in his family back east we would have still been living there, but now with one kid on her own and the other almost done with High School we are looking to leave Dirty Jersey once again probably in about a year or so. depending how quickly we can sell. so tired of freezing cold winters. the heat I can handle but my body just hates -10 degrees anymore. so we are looking at the beautiful state of New Mexico. my husband is retired, does odd jobs, loves old cars and Harley's. we are pretty laid back and love to be outdoors. I work in finance, mortgages mostly, but can do pretty much any office work. we are looking to settle in the Las cruces area. I know a year is a long way off but what does the job outlook look like for my field out there?

[malamute]

Originally Posted by NoMansLands

Yes I can see that, and I don't need to ask questions that might create more work and hyper-vigilance for Poncho.
Good answer Poncho!

It's an honest question, respectfully.

I may give up green for the benefits of Las Cruces...or I might end up in Sierra Vista. Who knows...the trip will begin to give us an idea.
Seems like I am going to have a lot of miles to cover, so I'm trying to narrow it down for that reason. 2 weeks on the road, we'd like to enjoy it as a vacation also.

I don't have any intention to try to change anybody, and I'd prefer likewise that others not try to change me.
One of NM's appealing traits is that it seems off so many people's radar....

I really don't think you'll miss the green. Think about it -- when you're in Michigan, you get a whole lot of white -- in Las Cruces, there is little green but hardly ever any white. You get deep blue skies, sunshine almost every day.

[nmdesert]

<Anywhere in the greener lower elevation mountains with Las Cruces temps?>

Good question...I'm late to the show, but this is my take. I've lived in Omaha, Denver, Belgium, Alabama, Oklahoma, San Diego, Albuquerque and now El Paso, for my perspective. Most of my choices are fairly small, so consider that - lack of facilities, health care, airports, groceries, shopping, cultural things. Some are craizily expensive, except for those selling homes on the west coast or mid-Atlantic.

In no order; each can get light snow and freeze hard at night most winters, but no heavy snow in my knowledge -
Glenwood NM
Mimbres NM
La Luz NM
Hondo, Tinnie NM
Base of Organ Mtns (E of Las Cruces, about 5000' elev)
Sierra Vista AZ
Bisbee AZ
Sedona AZ
Globe AZ
Oracle AZ
Alpine TX

None are green like Michigan in any remote sense, but they are not arid desert like Las Cruces, or arid sandy scrub and desert grassland like Abq. You can find green places nearby, a little higher (and wetter, more snow many winters, and colder) that have small woods with bigtooth maples, oaks, conifers, etc. If you want to go 5F or so cooler than Las Cruces, and can tolerate more hard winter nighttime freezes and rare 4"+ snows, then add in:
Silver City NM
Hillsboro NM
Payson AZ
Prescott AZ
Fort Davis TX

I left out Albuquerque's foothills even though it ranks with the last places - with this drought, my last year or two living there was quite depressing. Even cacti, junipers, desert clump crasses, etc dying. Though that may be more "normal" than not, since the statistic and many in the know tell me the 1970-1990's were about the wettest period since weather records have been kept...and long-term data suggests it gets even drier. But maybe those other places also got hit?

Don't even think of the East Mountain area of Abq, or Flagstaff, Taos, Santa Fe, or Ruidoso - 5-15F or more colder in winter than Abq or Silver City, so 10-20F colder than Las Cruces, and those are snowy some winters. But the summers are often incredibly mild, especially Ruidoso. Some of those are also a giant tinder box...loads of pines.
- - -
Consider culture, and how civil it is, not just climate. That's one reason I am in El Paso and not Abq...but green it is not, nor was Abq.