Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1899-10-19
THE SUPERB CLIMATE
Santa Fe Has Fine Summers and
Moderate Winters with Equable
Temperature.
NEARLY ALWAYS PLEASANT
The salubrious Atmosphere of the Terri
tory and Reasons Why the Climate Is
Healthful and the Country Chosen
for Sanitariums.

A knowledge of the contour Of New
Mexico in relation to the surrounding
country is necessary to clearly under
stand the cause Of Its climatic advant-
ages. that are not possessed by any
other part of the United States. A
study Of the Rocky mountain region re-
veals the fact that the great chain
from the far north is broken in its CON
tinuity as it leaves Colorado. In New
Mexico there are smaller ranges with
here and there lofty peaks with limb
cred slopes and barren crowns to re-
lieve the clouds of moisture. From
them incline fertile valleys and grassy
upland plains to the gulf region until
when the southern border is reached,
there are no mountains between New
Mexico and the southern water. Three
fourths of this territory has an altitude
of 5000 feet. At the southern border
the valleys have dropped to from 5000
to 1000 feet, while the Santa Fe valley,
at the capital city, has an altitude of
6,967 feet at the plaza.
A country of such varied attitudes
must have some variety in climate, but
the variation is in degrees Of tempera-
ture mainly, for in general the climate
of New Mexico is dry and salubrious.
The rainfall Is principally confined to
showers in the summer, with little rain
or snow in the winter. except in the
northern part Of the territory.
Near the extreme southern line, in
the Sacramento mountains, a lofty
peak is the first considerable elevation
met with, as the moisture-laden gulf
clouds drift to the northwest. and this
precipi iates rain to greater extent than
any other mountain, the rainfall there
having in exceptional seasons been es-
timated at 4S inches. But over the ter
ritory the normal precipitation ranges
from 8 to IS inches, according to eleva-
ton.
COMPARATIVE TEMPERATURE.
The southern valleys are. Of course,
the warmest portions Of New Mexico in
the summer, but the hottest are pleas
anter in midsummer than the east, be-
cause the air Is dry, rapidly absorbs the
dampness Of the skin and has a cooling
effect. The weather is oppressive,
the nights are always cool enough to
sleep under cover and generally under
a blanket.
Santa Fe, being up out of the great
valley Of the territory, Is especially
blessed as to summer temperature. The
highest record by the thermometer in
this city in twenty-six years was SO de-
grees in 1873, an extreme rarely ap-
preached. In the last ten years 81 was
the highest absolute temperature. 1t
| should be borne in mind that in a dry
climate the record Of the metallic ther-
mometer does not indicate the real tenn
perature felt by a human body, which
is cooled by the drying effect Of the air.
1t has been demonstrated that a tenn
perature Of 80 at Santa Fe is not more
oppressive and heating than u at st.
Louis, o. at any place with a humid ell
mate.
The following table was made up
from reports of the climate and crop
service of the weather bureau, and
gives a general idea of the relative in
tensity of heat as indicated by the me-
tallic thermometer: