Invisible UV rays increase by 4 percent for every 1,000 feet above sea level. Though they aren't a problem for most crops, UV rays can burn people in minutes and scorch some tender plants. Aldershot's glass greenhouses have energy curtains to protect nursery stock. When sensors show an overload of UV rays, the computer-controlled curtains roll out to lessen light intensity. Even on New Mexico's hottest days, plants, animals, and people get a break after the sun goes down.
Temperatures drop rapidly, thanks to the elevation and low humidity.
The dadburn wind just blows and blows. Wind blows because of differences in atmospheric pressure, triggering air movement that equalizes the pressure. On any day in eastern New Mexico, odds are the wind will be blowing. As an extension of the Great Plains, the region lacks the buffering spine of central mountains to deflect wind and storms. Meteorologists say that's why the High Plains has more than its share of wind, hail, and severe weather.