where it doesn't snow much and where it isn't just desert (Las Cruces: insurance, motel)

[Mattie Jo]

Hi,

I am going nutts trying to find the right place to live in NM. Are there any areas above Alamogordo that doesn't get maybe more than 8 inches of snow a year and that are pretty? My husband wants to move to TorC, and it is too bleak there from what I can tell from the photos. Espanola is too expensive even though it doesn't snow much there.

I considered Amarillo area, but for the tornadoes. Maybe it is useless. Hobbs, Carlsbad area is too far away from everything.

[Mark S.]

For the love of all that is holy, do not move to T or C. It certainly isn't the worst town in NM, but it definitely makes the Top 5.

Once you leave the northern mountain communities, I don't know of any place that regularly gets more than 8 inches of snow per year.

You might consider Silver City, Trinidad, Socorro, or even up into eastern Colorado.

Amarillo is nice, but it is probably the coldest big town in Texas. They do get winter weather there, so if you're trying to stay away from snow, you want to stay away from Amarillo. They don't get huge amounts of snow, but due to the high winds, the area is famous for being REALLY cold in deep winter.

You might consider Lubbock, TX.

[Mattie Jo]

I don't do cold real well, and neither does my husband. Thanks for the information on Amarillo. Silver City looks nice, but I wonder how bad the pollution there is? I mean, it is polluted where I live, and yet, maybe it is worse there. I will check out the other towns, including Lubbuck.

I am beginning to feel that I need to check out a new planet. Nothing is perfect in this world, and I think I am looking for it. I even thought of Fayetteville, AR but my husband and I have lived in the south and ran to Texas, which we loved until I just got homesick for CA, but now we need to buy a house and can't afford one here. Still, if I had my way I would probably go to Fayetteville.

[winnie]

Lubbock is the windiest city in the US and boy are the winters brutal at times there. And they have some of the nastiest tornadoes over there.

Alamogordo has awesome climate and they are really bearable in the summer. And moderate in the winter. Most towns in NM that don't get a heavy winter do get a hot summer - but I would take a summer down there over any summer in the North East and that drasted humidity!

I stayed in T or C quite often and never had any issue with the town. But that is a town that is secluded so whatever problems they have there are likely to remain. Mark can you comment as to what is going on there??? MY suspicion would be drugs trafficed to Alb.???

[_yb]

Just move to Alamogordo and be done with it. If the wind blows your hubby can stay indoors. If all the germans have left or are leaving you may even be able to find a deal on housing.

[Jammie]

Winnie, do you live in Alamagordo?

[Crackerjack]

Jessaka, I have a sister who lives in the Fayetteville, Arkansas area and it gets way hot in the summer with lots of humidity. It is pretty there but it is in a tornado zone like most of Arkansas.

[winnie]

I spent most my summers there when I was in NM. And quite a few weekends during the winter.

For me, 90 degrees + is nothing in Southern NM.

I have been to MS, AL, FL, VA, and the entire east coast and have found those areas to be much more opressive than Alamogordo in summer. I will take a whole summer of 90+ down there vs a 80 degree rainy cloudy, humid summer we have had in PA.

We are trying to get back there, but with DH being government and having specific requirements for work, we have been SOL for 5 years LOL!

[Mattie Jo]

I don't deal well with tornadoes. been in one when I lived in MS. Been in a hurricane in the panhandle of Florida when we lived there. I don't like wind that much either, so Lubbuck may be out of the picture.

I had concern about the sandy winds in Alamogordo since my husband has severe lung damage from agent orange. how often do they blow. Is Alamogoro pretty. I even wonder how dangerous the air pollution is in Silver City?

Winni 90 degrees and up for me in a dryer climate is nothing too. It is when it is combined with humidity that I can no longer take it.

Wonder if there are better areas in Texas too.

[Jammie]

Jessaka, I have a lot of the same questions that you have.

Winnie, I think we may have met on the Fla. board. We had really thought strongly about Fla. since we have extended family there. We just don't know though since the cost of living appears to be so high and they do have rough weather. Also, the area we're looking at was mentioned on a Fla. thread as the ugliest place in Fla.

According to what I can find, Alamogordo has a population of about 10,000. Is that still true? Would there be any general employment there such as motel clerk, casher in a convenience store, etc? DH will be semi-retiring soon and we're looking for the perfect spot. I will still need to work for another 10 years for sure. Also, I need employment that offers medical insurance. We just got back from the Black Hills in our state and love it there. The climate is so good for my osteo problems, but their winters get so cold and snowy just like they do on the eastern side of the state, where we live. Although they may have 60 degrees while we're at zero. Like Jess asked, is it pretty there? Is it flowery or what is it like? The summer heat doesn't scare us as long as it isn't terribly humid and it appears to not be humid at all. The winters don't appear to be bad either and that's what I'd really like. Anything you can tell me about Alamogordo would be appreciated. Would Las Cruces be a better choice? I like the idea of a population of about 75,000, but with the metro it appears to be about 175,000 which is a bit more populated then we're searching for. Do you have any pics of either city?