Alberque
New
MEXICO
(Misspelling of Albuquerque)
Alberque New Mexico
(Albuquerque) is the largest city
in the state of New Mexico, United States.
It is the county seat of Bernalillo County and is situated in the
central part of the state, straddling the Rio Grande. The city
population was 448,607 as of the 2000 U.S. census.
As of the 2006 census estimate, the
city's population was 504,949, with a metropolitan population of
816,811 as of July 1, 2006. In 2006, Albuquerque ranked as the
33rd-largest city and 61st-largest metropolitan area in the U.S.
The Albuquerque MSA population includes
the city of Rio Rancho, one of the fastest growing cities in the United
States, a hub for many master-planned communities which are expected to
draw future businesses and residents to the area.
Albuquerque is home to the University of New Mexico (UNM) and Kirtland
Air Force Base as well as Sandia National Laboratories and Petroglyph
National Monument. The Sandia Mountains run along the eastern side of
Albuquerque and the Rio Grande flows through the city north to south.
Albuquerque's climate is usually sunny and
dry, with low relative humidity. Brilliant sunshine defines the region,
averaging more than 300 days a year; periods of variably mid and
high-level cloudiness temper the sun at other times. Extended cloudiness
is rare. The city has four distinct seasons, but the heat and cold are
mild compared to the extremes that occur more commonly in other parts of
the country.
Winters are rather brief but definite; daytime highs range from the mid
40s to upper 50s Fahrenheit, while the overnight lows drop into the low
20s to near 30 by sunrise; nights are often colder in the valley and
uppermost foothills by several degrees. The occasional snowfall,
associated with low pressure areas, fronts and troughs, often melts by
the mid-afternoon; over half of the scant winter moisture occurs in the
form of light rain showers, usually brief in duration. In the much
higher and colder Sandia Mountains, moisture falls as snow; many years
have enough snow to create decent skiing conditions at the local ski
area.
Springtime starts off windy and cool,
sometimes unsettled with some rain and even light snow, though
spring is usually the driest part of the year in Albuquerque. March
and April tend to see many days with the wind blowing at 20 to 30
mph, and afternoon gusts can produce periods of blowing sand and
dust. In May, the winds tend to subside, as temperatures start to
feel like summer.
Summer daytime highs range from the upper 80s to the upper 90's, while
dropping into the low 60s to low 70s overnight; the valley and uppermost
foothills are often several degrees cooler than that. The heat is quite
tolerable because of low humidity, except during the late summer during
increased humidity from surges in the monsoonal pattern; at that time,
daytime highs drop slightly but the extra moisture in the air can cause
nighttime temperatures to increase.
Fall sees mild days and cool nights with less rain, though the weather
can be more unsettled closer to winter.
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