Albuquerque Climate & Terrain

Albuquerque's climate is generally moderate year round. It is usually sunny and dry with low amounts of humidity. The sun shines more than 280 days a year. Average winter daytime highs are in the upper 40's to low 50's while dropping into the mid 20's overnight. The rare times when snow falls in Albuquerque, it usually melts within a few hours. However at elevations above 7500 feet in the Sandia Mountains there is plenty of snow during the winter, making for ideal skiing conditions. Summertime daytime highs are normally in the low to mid 90's while droping into the 60's overnight. Luckily it is a very dry heat (It is a desert). Albuquerque recieves very little rain, only 8.5 inches a year. All in all Albuquerque has one of the best climates in the United States.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 469.5 km² (181.3 mi²). 467.9 km² (180.6 mi²) of it is land and 1.7 km² (0.6 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 0.35% water.

Albuquerque Terrain
The Sandia Mountains which include Sandia Peak are situated to the east of the city. The Sandia Peak Tramway runs from the base of the mountain to the peak, and is the longest aerial tramway in the world. "Sandia" comes from the Spanish for "watermelon". The name is a reference to the mountain's reddish color during sunsets.

The Rio Grande (Spanish for "great river") flows North to South through the city and supports a riparian forest habitat called a "bosque."

Interestingly enough, Albuquerque has one of the highest altitudes of any major city in the United States. The elevation of the city ranges from 4900 feet (1490 m) above sea level near the Rio Grande (in the Valley) to 6500 feet (1980 m) in the Northeast Heights. At the airport, the elevation is 5352 feet (1631 m) above sea level.