When to Go

Summers are hot throughout most of the state, though distinctly cooler at higher elevations. Winters are relatively mild in the south, harsher in the north and in the mountains. Spring and fall have pleasant temperatures, though in spring the wind blows throughout the state. Rainfall is sparse except in the higher mountains; summer afternoon thunderstorms and winter snows account for most precipitation.

Santa Fe and Taos, at 7,000 feet, have midsummer highs in the low 90s (about 32°C), overnight midwinter lows in the teens (between -12° and -7°C). Temperatures in Albuquerque, at 5,300 feet, often run about 10°F warmer than elsewhere in the northern region. Snowfall is common November through March, and sometimes as late as May, though it seldom lasts long. Santa Fe averages 32 inches total annual snowfall. At the high-mountain ski resorts, as much as 300 inches may fall -- and stay -- in a season. The plains and deserts of the southeast and south commonly have summer temperatures in excess of 100°F (38°C).