The state s highest point is Wheeler Peak at 13,161 feet, and the lowest is Red Bluff Reservoir at 2,842 feet. The mean elevation in New Mexico is about 5,700 feet. It is bounded on the north by Colorado, on the east by Oklahoma and Texas, on the south by Texas and Mexico, and on the west by Arizona. The climate of New Mexico is generally mild, sunny, and dry. Most of the state has between 10 and 20 inches of rainfall annually.
Winters are drier than summers.
Temperatures and precipitation vary widely from night to day and from winter to summer. In addition, climate varies greatly within each natural region. Higher mountain areas have a much cooler and wetter climate than lower areas nearby. Average annual precipitation ranges from about about 8 inches in the R o Grande and San Juan river valleys to more than 30 inches in the northern mountains. The overall average for the state is about 13 inches per year.