Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1900-09-08
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 1t 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 salubrlous.
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
Sacramento mountains, a lofty
peak is the first considerable elevation
with, as the moisture-laden gulf
clouds drift to the northwest, and this
orecipjtates rain to greater extent than
my other mountain. the rainfall there
having In exceptional seasons been es-
mated at B inches. But over the ter
itory the normal precipitation ranges
rom 8 to IS inches, according to eleva-
ion. X
COMPARATIVE TEMPERATURE. (
The southern valleys are, of course, i
warmest portions Of New Mexico in s
ne summer, but the hottest are pleas
inter- in midsummer than the east, be-
ause the air 10 dry. rapidly absorbs the f
ampness Of the skin and has q cooling :
1ect. The weather Ia never oppressive,
nights are always cool enough to G
leep under cove and generally under S
blanket. h
Santa Fe. being up out Of the great a
alley Of the territory. IL especially a
lessed as to summer temperature. The
lghest record by the thermometer in t.
lis city in twenty-six years was S6 de- C
rees In 1878. an extreme rarely ap- y
reached. In the last ten years 81 was o
le highest absolute temperature. It y
lould be borne in mind that in a dry n
innate the record of the metallic Their v
does not indicate the real tenn
srature felt by a human body, which tt
cooled by the drying effect Of the air. is
has been demonstrated that a tenn le
of 30 at Santa Fe is not more N
'pressive and heating than 70 at st. "
'uis. or at any place with a humid cli- n
ate.
The following table was made up
ON reports of the climate and crop q
rvice Of the weather bureau, and r
yes a general idea of the relative In M
nsity OF heat as indicated by the me. W
Tic Thermometer: sc