New Mexico Climate
Top 5 Cities: Albuquerque, Las Cruces, Rio Rancho, Santa Fe, and Roswell
This month in numbers
New Mexico experienced its warmest March on record in 2026, with an average temperature of 13.11°C, an anomaly of +6.8°C compared to the 1961–1990 baseline. This ranked 1st out of 77 years on record. Maximum temperatures also hit an all-time high for March at 23.39°C, an anomaly of +8.6°C. The first three months of 2026 (January–March) were also the warmest on record, averaging 7.76°C, a +4.4°C anomaly. This period also saw the highest maximum temperatures on record, at 16.7°C, an anomaly of +5.2°C. In stark contrast, March precipitation was exceptionally low, ranking 76th of 77 years on record with just 1.78 mm, a deficit of 15.3 mm.
What changed
The exceptionally warm and dry conditions in New Mexico during March 2026 continued a trend seen throughout the winter. The state's average temperature for the winter of 2025-2026 was 42.1°F, surpassing the previous record by 2.1 degrees and marking the first time the statewide average winter temperature exceeded 40°F. This warmth was not isolated to New Mexico; the entire Southwest US climate region experienced a significantly warmer-than-average March, with New Mexico ranking 4th warmest within this group. Globally, land temperatures for February–April 2026 ranked as the 2nd warmest on record. New Mexico's March average temperature anomaly of +6.79°C placed it 6th among 234 regions worldwide, highlighting a striking concentration of warmth across US states, with all of the top 10 warmest regions being in the US.
What’s driving change?
The extreme heat in March was driven by an unusually strong atmospheric ridge over the Desert Southwest, a pattern more typical of late May or early June. This persistent high-pressure system led to widespread record-breaking temperatures across New Mexico and much of the western US. The record warmth and exceptional dryness contributed to significant snowpack depletion, which was already at historic low levels, and an early surge in fire danger. Drought conditions have intensified across the region, with two drought events active in New Mexico over the past 12 months, representing 100% of the annual total, an unusual concentration for the season. The current ENSO state is Neutral, with a +0.11°C anomaly, though forecasts indicate a strong likelihood of an El Niño developing by May–July 2026, which typically brings warmer and drier conditions to New Mexico in winter. More information on extreme weather events can be found at Extreme Weather tracker and ENSO at ENSO tracker.
Looking ahead
The evolving El Niño phase suggests a continued likelihood of warmer and drier conditions for New Mexico in the coming months.
Generated by Gemini from climate data and web sources
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Data Sources
Data Sources for New Mexico
Every figure on this page is sourced from official, openly published climate datasets. Anomalies are calculated against the 1961–1990 baseline (temperature) and 1991–2020 (rainfall, sunshine, frost) — see the Methodology & Sources page for the complete dataset list and update calendar.
FAQs
FAQs
How is the climate in New Mexico changing?
New Mexico is warming in line with the rest of the world. The page above shows the latest monthly temperature anomaly versus the 1961-1990 baseline, the long-term annual trend, and the region's rank in the historical record. The trend rate is shown as °C per decade in the headline panel; you can also see the warmest and coolest years on file.
Where does the climate data for New Mexico come from?
Climate data for New Mexico comes from NOAA Climate at a Glance (temperature and precipitation), refreshed every month, when the upstream temperature and rainfall data are refreshed.
What is the climate baseline used on this page?
Anomalies on this page are calculated against the 1961-1990 climatological baseline, which is the standard reference period used by the Met Office, NOAA, IPCC and most national climate services. Some panels also show the source-native 1901-2000 (NOAA) or 1991-2020 (WMO) baselines for verification. See Methodology & Sources for the full reference.
Which areas does the New Mexico climate data cover?
The New Mexico climate profile covers Albuquerque, Las Cruces, Rio Rancho, Santa Fe and surrounding areas. New Mexico climate data from NOAA Climate at a Glance
How often is the New Mexico climate update refreshed?
The New Mexico climate update is refreshed monthly, typically a few days after the previous month closes and the upstream provider (Met Office HadUK-Grid, NOAA Climate at a Glance, Copernicus ERA5 or the Global Carbon Project) publishes its update. See the Climate Rankings for cross-region comparisons.