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I agree with Devin Bent there is an "overlap" between Albuquerque and Santa Fe county in regards to climate and some of SF county is at a similiar elevation to ABQ ...however I also agree with EnjoyEP ...the milder zone 7 climate abruptly ends at ABQ ...places at almost identical elevations just 50 or so miles north are significantly cooler at nite ...the only explanation I can come up with is a combination of good cold air drainage, urban heat island effect and the influence of the Sandias with "protecting" ABQ ....here are two examples Espanola at 5589 ft and
As you might expect Los Alamos has much "cooler" average daytime highs but is actually as "mild" or even "milder" than Espanola at nite !! ....Los Alamos has very good cold air drainage and Espanola is at the "bottom" of the Rio Grande valley ...denser cold air usually sinks to the lowest area
Yes, Espanola's highs are similiar to Albuquerque ...but it's average lows are not (they are actually similiar to Santa Fe's !)
Thank you for posting that and I won't argue with the data, although I do wonder if these are amateur stations fitfully manned and then perhaps we can't make too much of small differences?? Just a wonder, I don't know.
But the more significant question is -- what temperatures are most relevant to us -- high, mean, low? If we are starting tomatoes outdoors, then low is relevant. For people working out-of-doors in the early morning, the low will be relevant. But for most of us most of the time, i would suspect that the temperature at 4 AM to 6 AM is not that important. (I am guessing that the low comes at about this time depending upon season. Anybody please correct me if they know.) If I am up at that hour, I am indoors or driving in the car. The result of an early morning low for me is that I am more likely to lose my jacket. By noon it is what 10-12-15? degrees warmer here in a high dry climate.
And what kicked this off was a remark that Santa Fe was very cold in the evening. I suspect that evening temperatures are not that close to the low & that the mean temperature might be a better measure of what to expect in the evenings??? Of course, some may party to 4AM, then the low is a measure of what to expect and more power to them.
And come to think of it -- if we are talking about human comfort then wind becomes important. How windy are the two cities in comparison to each other? That is a real question. I have no idea.
Nambe where I live is a low wind area -- but that is some sort of microclimate that I won't pretend to understand. It has nothing to do with Santa Fe in general.
Last edited by Devin Bent; 04-30-2008 at 06:12 PM..
I highly doubt NM is more windy than Nebraska. If it is, my mistake but we are extremely windy here so wind won't bother me. (except if I start wearing dresses and skirts!) You are humorous Devin... I dig your posts. You guys have got me pretty much sold on NM. None of the other states I've been checking into seem the "perfect" fit for me. Now my next huge task is starting to research Finance/Investment jobs for Travis my hubby. It's rediculous what he makes here in Nebraska at his accounts payable job but he's at the bottom of the totem pole. Can YOU live off $30K a year with three kids? Yeesh it's tough. I hope NM pays better ... I'm sure it will considering he'll have his MBA in August and he'll be going into finance. I started a post on job sites for NM.. hope I can find some!
By the way, you guys rock! I cannot believe how kind and informative you've been, thank you SO much!
rbmomof3...this link from the National Weather Service office in Albuquerque provides average last freeze dates for a number of locations in New Mexico.
For Albuquerque, you will see 3 locations. The average date of the last freeze in the spring ranges from mid-April in the thermal belt (generally 5200-5800 feet elevation) to the first week of May along the Rio Grande, and also in the Foothills above 6000 feet (east of Tramway Blvd).
Average wind speeds in Nebraska are similar to those of the far eastern plains of New Mexico. Nebraska (average speeds) is windier than central and western New Mexico. However, a lot of New Mexico will experience gusts over 50 mph during about half a dozen afternoons from March through May. And, locations in strategic locations vulnerable to severe downslope storms can get hurricane force winds on some occasions. These are usually night-time events. This link is over 10 years old, but should be accurate:
Besides the freeze dates, my wife and I discovered when we first moved here that it takes a pretty tall fence to keep the deer out of the garden. And, even when we did, the size of our tomatoes was pretty pathetic compared to the huge ones we grew back in Mississippi. At least those steamy Mississippi nights are good for something...
Thanks again for the info. Wow I cannot imagine deer in my backyard, cool! We plan on hopefully having some acreage so I bet that will happen a lot. We are hunters so I'm sure this is going to drive my husband nuts lol. All this talk has made me so anxious for next May to come, I cannot wait to get out of Nebraska. I sure do miss scenery besides open fields and no mountains.
I live in Kansas, and it is pretty windy here, but I believe the wind in New Mexico can equal it easily.
We were in NM three weeks ago at our new house which sits up on a rise, and the wind there was whipping around pretty good. I was wondering what we were getting ourselves into , and our realtor told us the windy "season" is in March and April and the winds should die down by May.
Chama or Red River- almost anywhere just south of the Colorado border is the ticket if you like the cooler weather. That being said, the snow was so deep in Chama last winter that it couldn't be shoveled fast enough and collapsed the roof on the supermarket! Another item to consider is elevation. Higher elevations may be slightly cooler, but the more intense high altitude UV rays can burn the freckles off a frog. There are usually a couple of good "micro-climate" areas that avoid many of the extremes, such as Santa Fe and Silver City, or Upper Valdez (next to Taos). These areas have nice subdivisions - if you are living on the side of the mesa or mountain where you get maximum winter sun and minimal summer heat. But in New Mexico I've seen snow and sleet on one side of town and sun on the other in the same hour- New Mexico is just like that.
As far as the greater southwest goes, take a good look at the "mid-elevation" communities (4000-6000 feet) from Sedona, Arizona on east to Ruidoso and Cloudcroft, New Mexico and see if you can find one that has less than a 60 degree temperature swing in any given season. Futher north, Colorado towns like Pagosa Springs and places like Cedar City, Utah have great cool weather. Good luck!
Last edited by New West 2020; 05-01-2008 at 03:44 PM..
Reason: spelling
As far as the greater southwest goes, take a good look at the "mid-elevation" communities (4000-6000 feet) from Sedona, Arizona on east to Ruidoso and Cloudcroft, New Mexico
Actually Ruidoso and Cloudcroft are higher than (4000-6000 feet) as Ruidoso is 6720 ft at its base and Cloudcroft is 8663 ft at its base and both are higher in the surrounding mountainous hills that surround both communities but i know you mean't well ''New West'' . Both are very nice and cool in the summer evenings.
I have lived in Silver City, New Mexico for four years and I have now lived in Apache Junction, Arizona for six, we are heading BACK to New Mexico!!! I love it there, the weather is never ever nearly as hot as Arizona and cools so nicely at night. I miss the fresh air in NM and the slow pace of life. We are looking to be back "home" by December, I so wish we had never ever left. Live and learn, and they have the most gentle four seasons of anywhere we have lived, including Northern California, Sonoma County Area. Let me just say we cannot wait to get back to NM!!!
Taos is terrific. Elevation 7575 ft, cool in summers, wonderful snow and skiing in winters. Be sure to visit before your decision, lovely town of 6000, 1000 are said to be artistss!
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, and our realtor told us the windy "season" is in March and April and the winds should die down by May.
. Both are very nice and cool in the summer evenings.
Perfect Climate
