Moving to Alamogordo (Farmington, White Sands: garage, car, kitchen)

[catman]

If the people from the East came to visit in July or August, would they still want to live there?

And is there a perceptible difference in the climate between Tularosa and Alamogordo? I've been studying the climates a bit, and it seems that the main difference between Socorro and Alamo is that winter is considerably colder in Socorro, while the summer is very nearly the same.

[songinthewind7]

Originally Posted by catman

If the people from the East came to visit in July or August, would they still want to live there?

And is there a perceptible difference in the climate between Tularosa and Alamogordo? I've been studying the climates a bit, and it seems that the main difference between Socorro and Alamo is that winter is considerably colder in Socorro, while the summer is very nearly the same.

People from the East deal with a lot of humidity so coming to Alamo in July and August, they have to deal with a little bit of humidity and hot but not like in the East.

I haven't studied it but I feel the climate is the same in Alamo and Tularosa.

[Vinegaroon]

Originally Posted by MustangMom51

Ok, I am not an expert, have lived here three years-actually live in Tularosa. But I think I have been here long enough.To give a quick rating on thing:
RestarauntsOnly two major chains here, Chili and AppleBees, we have a Golden Corral and Waffle House, and all the usual ff. NO DQ! Lots of Mexican places, not alot of them good. Casa De Suenos in Tularosa
Health care:Nice hospital as far as amentities, doctors, Not the best. If you need any really good care, you need to go to las Cruces, Or El Paso, both 75 miles away.
Shopping:One tiny mall, with a JC Penney, and a few smaller stores, and of course Wally Worls and KMart. Any decent shopping must go to Cruces or el Paso, so ladies, if you are in to shopping, I DO NOT recommend this place. Some say that is why we don't have good doctors.
Crime: Lots of meth, and being close to the border. lots of trafficking.But not alot of real serious stuff,like murders, but the police here think they are all LAPD'ers. pretty stupid, racing thru town 100 miels an hour for a traffic violation.
Activities:If you are into outdoor or love western history, it is great. Beautiful places to hike, lots of quaint places to explore, skiing only 30 miles away or less, no water though, lakes are somewhat nonexistent out here. Biggest is Caballo about 1.5 hrs from Alamo.
Weather: That is up to your discretion. Summers are HOT! May thru September 90's +. Spring -WINDS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Rain? What is that? We have a monsoonseason, and most of our rain is received then July and August. Other than that, you probably will not see any other than an occasional sprinkle, but the threat of tornadoes, etc. is very, very, low.So, overall, DRY, HOT, & DUSTY! Not a good place for allergy sufferers.
Lifestyle: VERY laid back, no one is in a hurry to do anything here, which was hard for me(still is) being from the east. If you need something, be it car service, home repair, be prepared to wait. The lifestyle motto here is "manana".
Entertainment: -If you are into night life-FORGET IT!!!!!!!!!!Alamogordo has two bars, there is a movie theater, but that is it. Concerts,and such can be attended at the Spencer in Alto, sometimes at the Inn of The Mountain Gods Casino-which is a horrible venue it is just a big meeting room in the hotel, so I miss my outdoor gigs from back east. We have a nice, small zoo.
Racial profile-Depends on the person.Caucasians, minority, except for the base, mostly Hispanic, and a big German populus, they have their own school, and community in Alamogordo.
OVERALL. If you are looking for a laid-back, easy going life, and don't mind hot, dry dusty weather,don't care about shopping or restaraunts, this is the place for you!
P.S. To horse people, LOTS of horses, cowboys, etc,and the racetrack at Ruidoso only 30 miles away. I live in Tularosa, and there is a huge , new arean for rodeos just up the road from me.

Please, enough with the smilies....I quit reading your post because of the smiley overkill.

[Cathy4017]

Originally Posted by catman

If the people from the East came to visit in July or August, would they still want to live there?

And is there a perceptible difference in the climate between Tularosa and Alamogordo? I've been studying the climates a bit, and it seems that the main difference between Socorro and Alamo is that winter is considerably colder in Socorro, while the summer is very nearly the same.

Make no mistake.....Alamogordo is HOT in July and August, monsoon notwithstanding. Looks like the nice cold weather and snow we had recently was just a fluke, and overly warm temps are back.

I find no difference in the climates, as Tularosa is only about 110 feet higher than Alamo....and only about 10-15 miles north.

Socorro isn't that much higher than either Tulie or Alamo....about another 300 feet, but I've never been there in the winter except passing through.

Looking at the calendar over the past month or so, not really an appreciable difference among Alamo, Tulie or Socorro.

Get in the upper northwest corner, quite a bit of difference!

[jaxart]

Originally Posted by songinthewind7

I haven't studied it but I feel the climate is the same in Alamo and Tularosa.

Socorro was also mentioned and I agree - there is no discernible difference between the three places. Tularosa even has it's "lonesome palm" tree. I don't know if there are others, but the one that stands out is an old fellow on US-70 about a mile east of the junction with US-54.

[catman]

According to the stats I've seen, the summers are all about the same, but Socorro is about 6 degrees colder in winter than Alamo or Tularosa (avg low 22 rather than 28).

Cathy4017: I know the NW part of the state is a lot colder. So are Red River, Eagle Nest and Raton!

[Cathy4017]

Originally Posted by catman

According to the stats I've seen, the summers are all about the same, but Socorro is about 6 degrees colder in winter than Alamo or Tularosa (avg low 22 rather than 28).

Cathy4017: I know the NW part of the state is a lot colder. So are Red River, Eagle Nest and Raton!

I track Farmngton and Aztec on my weatherpage list......and it depresses me, LOL!!

I did consider checking Red River out, but ruled it out for the same reason I did several other places--isolation with few to no amenities close by.

Add an icy/snowy mountain pass in the winter for Red River. I cannot imagine negotiating that all winter long just to go get basics like groceries!

[catman]

I agree. Red River is a bit too rustic, shall we say, for me, and hospitals are a long way off. I really like it most between seasons (spring/fall), when I'm one of the people from out of town there.

Farmington and Aztec are cold in winter. Is that what you like, Cathy? Alamogordo may be hot in summer, but the humidity is a lot lower than it is where I am (Fort Worth) and at least it cools off at night. Those 80+ degree low temperatures are the worst thing about summer here. Winters aren't usually too bad unless freezing rain comes, then it really sucks. Snow is about a once-a-year event (if that).

[Cathy4017]

Originally Posted by catman

I agree. Red River is a bit too rustic, shall we say, for me, and hospitals are a long way off. I really like it most between seasons (spring/fall), when I'm one of the people from out of town there.

Farmington and Aztec are cold in winter. Is that what you like, Cathy? Alamogordo may be hot in summer, but the humidity is a lot lower than it is where I am (Fort Worth) and at least it cools off at night. Those 80+ degree low temperatures are the worst thing about summer here. Winters aren't usually too bad unless freezing rain comes, then it really sucks. Snow is about a once-a-year event (if that).

Yes! I want real winters, since we don't have them either in Texas or southern New Mexico any more.

And yes.....! Places like Red River and such are for summer visiting to get away from the heat and humidity.

Don't get me wrong about Alamogordo. It's a great little town (outside of the fact that the restaurants mostly suck)...and has a great climate most of the year. It's fantastic right now, though it's unseasonably warm. The nights do cool off a lot compared to where you are--and most of Texas.

I do love the dryness (which is how it once was in West Texas) and these Sacramento and San Andres mountains! I just wish I could see them with an appreciable amount of snow on them, LOL!!

Cloudcroft had a record high of 65 degrees a few days ago.

But Fort Davis, Alpine and Marfa have been cooler both during the day and night than Alamo in the last few weeks.

Go figure that one out.

[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!