Always carry water with you, especially during the summer. We normally have mild winters with cold spells, and occasional snow, which is usually gone within 24 hours, three days at the most. These events can be quite traumatic to us Roswellites, but those from the northern states might find it balmy here. See Chart for monthly temperature averages. Most of our dirt roads are caliche, which can get incredibly slippery when wet and it is wisest, at those times, not to travel on them.
Roads are usually dry enough by the following day.
Rains seldom last long, and tend to be localized. I have heard many stories where rain fell into one person's yard, but not into their neighbor's. My favorite is when friends were enjoying their picnic while watching it rain on the other side of the road. If you plan to do much traveling in New Mexico, especially off the main highways, the purchase of detailed road maps would be advisable. During warm periods watch out for snakes.