New Mexico is a dry state with many mountains and valleys. Its weather reflects that topography, with hot summers and mild winters in the lower areas, and cooler temperatures year-round at high elevations.
Average temperatures in New Mexico range from around 40 degrees Fahrenheit in the higher elevations in the north of the state to 64 degrees in the southeastern part of the state. In the warmest month, July, daytime high temperatures can range from the upper 70s in high elevations to the 90s. In the coldest month, January, average temperatures range from the mid-30s to the mid-50s.
New Mexico, located in the southwestern United States, is the fifth largest state in America. It has an average elevation that is nearly a mile above sea level, so its territory is mainly high plateaus and mountains, with many canyons and valleys.
New Mexico is a very sunny state, receiving between 2,700 to 3,800 hours of sunlight each year.
New Mexico gets frequent thunderstorms, particularly in mid-summer, but rainfall averages only about 10 inches a year in the southern part of the state to around twice that amount in higher mountain areas.
