Moving to Alamogordo

[Cathy4017]

Originally Posted by catman

Far be it from me to try to "figure that one out"! According the climatic data on this site, though, Marfa's average lows in winter are about 3 degrees lower than Alamogordo's, and Alpine/Fort Davis have average lows which are very close. I wonder what makes Marfa so cold relative to the others.

I don't really care for "real winters" to the extent that you do; Alamo would be about perfect for me temperature-wise. I can understand your wanting to see snow on the mountains, though. I don't understand why southern NM hasn't been getting more at high elevations the last few winters. I guess the Pacific (La Nina, El Nino) has something to do with it. TX (especially South TX) is supposed to be very wet this winter, so maybe that will translate into snow for you!

I have wondered why Marfa can get as cold as it does, being so far south.

This is supposedly an El Niño year, so maybe there will be more snow. Right now, does not look too promising. Alto has been really warm since that first snow of the season.

There will be very few days where you cannot ride your bike all year-around here.

I keep hearing about how bad the sandstorms are, but those I've seen since I have been here pale in comparison to Lubbock and Midland-Odessa.

[catman]

Cathy: I don't think Alamogordo is as windy as West Texas. Am I correct? I know from personal experience that it can get really windy on the High Plains/South Plains. Y'all don't often get the fronts that West Texas gets.

Do the sands of White Sands get involved in the sandstorms, or can you tell? I guess the wind would have to be from the west or southwest for that to happen.

[Cathy4017]

Originally Posted by catman

Cathy: I don't think Alamogordo is as windy as West Texas. Am I correct? I know from personal experience that it can get really windy on the High Plains/South Plains. Y'all don't often get the fronts that West Texas gets.

Do the sands of White Sands get involved in the sandstorms, or can you tell? I guess the wind would have to be from the west or southwest for that to happen.

The white sands are always present....that was the striking difference. The sky is gray or a very light tan compared to the dark red that I was used to in Lubbock/Midland.

Yep, been in a few of those. On one of my last trips from Farmington to Midland (somewhere around Plains or Seminole), visibility was near zero with red sand blowing everywhere. I had to really watch and catch my door when I stopped to fill up.

Alamo is so temperate...I guess the mountains afford some protection. Right now it's perfect outside, 64, calm....Marfa is 55.

[Cathy4017]

I forgot to mention that my last tomato bush is putting on new leaves, setting more fruit and has fat red ones ripening....at this rate, with these warm temps, I may have tomatoes in December.......!

[catman]

I always hated those sandstorms (in TX they are probably actually dust storms), not only because I could hardly see where I was going, but because they couldn't possibly be good for the engine of the car (or motorcycle)...all that stuff being either caught by the air filter, clogging it up, or passing through to the engine and grinding it up!

Yes, the mountains to your east protect Alamo from many of the cold fronts that assail Texas and eastern NM.

Shore got some nice tomaters thar, missy! Sorry, been watching Gunsmoke too much lately.

[chilegal]

Originally Posted by Cathy4017

I forgot to mention that my last tomato bush is putting on new leaves, setting more fruit and has fat red ones ripening....at this rate, with these warm temps, I may have tomatoes in December.......!

Those look so good!!!!! Save me one!

[ajzjmsmom]

Originally Posted by Cathy4017

I forgot to mention that my last tomato bush is putting on new leaves, setting more fruit and has fat red ones ripening....at this rate, with these warm temps, I may have tomatoes in December.......!

Nice looking tomatoes Cathy, if a freeze holds off you will have them until Dec.

[Cathy4017]

The days just have to stay moderate, as the bush (on a rolling cart) spends its nights in the 65-70° kitchen.

This is a very short-lived cold front (as most fronts in Alamogordo are), and temps will be back in the upper 60s very soon.

I trimmed the chiltepin bushes back and stuck them in the garage for the winter. I'm hoping that they come back and produce better the second year. I got one Caribbean Red that never matured to red.