Winter in southern New Mexico (Las Cruces, Roswell: rental, car, best weather)

[TheDarkHorse]

Hello from New Jersey,

Ive always wanted to take a road trip to New Mexico. I have the next couple of months free and some money saved up so I was thinking of taking the plunge in a few weeks.

To be specific I am interested in southern NM. Stuff like Las Cruces, White Sands, Lincoln National Forest, Roswell, etc.

But I dont know what to expect as far as the weather goes. How cold does it get in southern NM during Jan/Feb? Does it snow in the southern part of the state? Are the tourist sites open during the winter?

Also, I am a bit of an amatuer photographer so good photo ops are important to me. I am looking foward to seeing some good desert scenery. Is it better to wait for the spring/summer for this sort of thing? Or does the desert sort of look the same all year round?

Thanks for the help!

[jaxart]

Originally Posted by TheDarkHorse

To be specific I am interested in southern NM. Stuff like Las Cruces, White Sands, Lincoln National Forest, Roswell, etc.

The best time to visit is the fall months - from late September to mid November if you want the very best weather. The worst time has to be the spring months of March/April/May when the wind and dust storms prevail. Winter is a good time too, but summers can be very hot except in the forested areas of the higher elevations. Summer temps typically approach or exceed 100F in summer, but cool to the 70s overnight usually.

Winters are variable, just like everywhere. It gets to freezing overnight in most locales of the southern areas and snow and ice do cause infrequent travel restrictions. But anyone with proper winter clothing should have no fear of getting "snowed in" anywhere across the southern region - at least not for longer than a day. If renting a car in winter time, best to try for an "all wheel drive" rental just in case snowy conditions are encountered. Storms are usually preceded by strong winds in the region - and storms can come in series about every seven days in the dead of winter (Dec/Jan), but the amount of snowfall in the lower elevations is usually minimal - a few inches. Just enough to make driving a problem if the temps are low enough for it to stick to the asphalt - like during the night.

[TigerLily24]

Hello from a former New Jerseyite

It does get cold at night but not uncomfortably so, and there is little chance of precipitation except at the higher altitudes (Lincoln Forest, etc.) Overall, it is pretty darn pleasant compared to NJ this time of year.

White Sands is open and I personally think that this is a very nice time of year to visit as the winter light on the sand is extraordinary.
As we are in the high desert, it does get noticeably chilly when the sun starts to go down, but during the day, when the sun is out, I usually only need a fleece jacket to be comfortable.

[lawmom]

My son has worn his winter jacket only a few days really so far -- and more likely in the early mornings, as by afternoon he only needs a light jacket. The sun really warms things up in the afternoon, but by the same token, when it goes behind a cloud or sets, you feel an instant difference!

[Six Foot Three]

Originally Posted by TheDarkHorse

Hello from New Jersey,

Ive always wanted to take a road trip to New Mexico. I have the next couple of months free and some money saved up so I was thinking of taking the plunge in a few weeks.

To be specific I am interested in southern NM. Stuff like Las Cruces, White Sands, Lincoln National Forest, Roswell, etc.

But I dont know what to expect as far as the weather goes. How cold does it get in southern NM during Jan/Feb? Does it snow in the southern part of the state? Are the tourist sites open during the winter?

Also, I am a bit of an amatuer photographer so good photo ops are important to me. I am looking foward to seeing some good desert scenery. Is it better to wait for the spring/summer for this sort of thing? Or does the desert sort of look the same all year round?

Thanks for the help!

A few places you may like especially since your a photographer is Aguirre Springs on the east side of the Organ mountains as the flora up there is really nice and also along the Rio Grande at Leasburg state park about 15 miles north of Las Cruces and at the new Mesilla Vally Bosque state park in Mesilla along the Rio Grande to the southwest of Las Cruces.