Ruidoso Webcam – Check Midtown and Sierra Blanca Weather

The Ruidoso Webcam looks up Sudderth Drive through Midtown, the shopping and restaurant district of this mountain village in southern New Mexico. Mounted high above a green metal roof and a patio of umbrellas, the camera follows the main street past a row of storefronts toward pine-covered ridges, with the bare summit of Sierra Blanca on the skyline when the air is clear. A second camera, on the Sierra Blanca tab, sits on top of the Ruidoso Athletic Club on Wingfield Street and turns between the peak itself and the lawns and pavilion of Wingfield Park. Together they show the weather in town and on the mountain, from summer storm clouds over the ridges to winter snow on the summit.

About Ruidoso and Midtown

Ruidoso is a village of 7,679 people (2020 census) in Lincoln County, at 2,054 meters (6,739 feet) above sea level. Its name is Spanish for “noisy”, after the Rio Ruidoso, the Noisy River that runs through town. The settlement grew around Dowlin’s Mill, built by Captain Paul Dowlin where Carrizo Creek meets the river, and by 1885 it had a general store, a blacksmith and a post office. Summer cabins went up in the Upper Canyon in 1914, a ski area opened at Cedar Creek in 1935, and horse racing arrived at Hollywood Park in 1947.

Midtown is the stretch of Sudderth Drive, the village’s main street, where most of the shops and restaurants sit. The operator places the main camera in the center of this entertainment district, and its view runs west-northwest up the street toward the mountains. Wingfield Park, a block south on Wingfield Street, is the village’s events lawn. It hosts free Friday evening concerts in summer and the festival that follows the AspenFest parade in early October, so event tents often stand on the grass in the Sierra Blanca camera’s view.

Sierra Blanca Peak rises to 3,652 meters (11,981 feet), about 16 kilometers (10 miles) west-northwest of Ruidoso, and stands 1,686 meters (5,533 feet) above the surrounding country. The name means “White Mountains”. The summit lies on the Mescalero Apache Reservation, the peak is sacred to the Mescalero Apache, and climbing it requires a permit from the tribe.

Weather and Climate in Ruidoso

The altitude keeps summers mild. June and July highs average about 27 C (81 F), and nights fall to around 9 to 11 C (48 to 52 F). July and August are the wettest months, at about 109 millimeters (4.3 inches) and 107 millimeters (4.2 inches), as the summer monsoon brings afternoon thunderstorms, and on the Sierra Blanca camera cloud can hide the peak entirely. September stays warm, with highs near 24 C (75 F), while October averages 19 C (67 F) by day and 2 C (35 F) at night.

Winter days are milder than the elevation suggests, with December and January highs around 9 C (48 to 49 F), but nights drop to about minus 6 C (21 F). Snowfall in the village averages 67 centimeters (26.2 inches) a year, most of it from December to February, and January alone averages 20 centimeters (7.9 inches). The mountain gets far more: Ski Apache averages about 4.6 meters (15 feet) of snow a season, and the white cap on Sierra Blanca shows up on both cameras on clear winter days. Spring warms quickly, from highs of 14 C (58 F) in March to 23 C (73 F) in May, and April is the driest month of the year.

Things to Do Near Ruidoso

Ski Apache, owned and operated by the Mescalero Apache Tribe since 1963, spreads across the flanks of Sierra Blanca. Its base sits at 2,900 meters (9,600 feet) and its top at 3,500 meters (11,500 feet), with 55 trails and eight lifts, including the only gondola in New Mexico that serves ski runs. The longest of its three zip lines covers about 1.6 kilometers (1 mile) from the top of the mountain. The tribe also runs the Inn of the Mountain Gods, a resort, casino and golf course on Lake Mescalero, a short drive from town.

Closer to Midtown, Grindstone Lake has a network of five trails, about 29 kilometers (18 miles) in all, open to hikers, mountain bikers and horseback riders. The Grindstone Canyon Loop alone is 10.6 kilometers (6.6 miles). In the neighboring city of Ruidoso Downs, about 6 kilometers (4 miles) east of Midtown, Ruidoso Downs Race Track has run the All American Futurity on Labor Day since 1959, the richest race in Quarter Horse racing, and Billy the Kid Casino stands beside the track. In the village itself are Noisy Water Winery and the Ruidoso River Museum.

Similar Webcams You Might Like

For more mountain towns in the Southwest, try these cameras next.

• Red River Webcam
• Silver City Webcam
• Flagstaff Webcam

Frequently Asked Questions

What can you see on the Ruidoso Webcam?

Two views. The main Midtown camera looks west-northwest up Sudderth Drive over storefronts and traffic toward pine ridges and, on clear days, Sierra Blanca. The Sierra Blanca tab is a movable camera on the Ruidoso Athletic Club that turns between the peak and the lawns and pavilion of Wingfield Park.

Is there a live cam of downtown Ruidoso?

Yes. Ruidoso’s downtown is Midtown, the section of Sudderth Drive with most of the shops and restaurants, and the main camera on this page sits in the middle of it.

Can you see Ski Apache or the Inn of the Mountain Gods on the Ruidoso Webcam?

Not directly. The Sierra Blanca camera looks toward the 3,652 meter (11,981 foot) peak that forms the backdrop to Ski Apache, so snow on the mountain shows clearly in winter, but neither camera is aimed at the ski area’s lifts and trails, the Inn of the Mountain Gods on Lake Mescalero, or Grindstone Lake.

Where is Ruidoso located?

Ruidoso is in Lincoln County in south-central New Mexico, at 2,054 meters (6,739 feet). Sierra Blanca Peak stands 16 kilometers (10 miles) to the west-northwest, and the Lincoln National Forest borders the village.

What is the weather like in Ruidoso?

Mild summers and cold, snowy winter nights. June and July highs average about 27 C (81 F), July and August are the wettest months with afternoon thunderstorms, and October averages 19 C (67 F) by day and 2 C (35 F) at night.

How cold does it get in Ruidoso?

January is the coldest month, with average lows of minus 6 C (21 F) and highs of 9 C (49 F). Snow falls mostly from December to February, and the Midtown camera shows whether Sudderth Drive is clear.

Does the Ruidoso Webcam work at night?

Yes, both cameras stream around the clock. After dark the Midtown camera shows Sudderth Drive under its street lights, and the Sierra Blanca camera switches to a black and white night mode, usually looking over Wingfield Park.

What does Ruidoso mean in English?

Ruidoso is Spanish for “noisy”. The village took its name from the Rio Ruidoso, the Noisy River, which runs through town.

Source: Ruidoso.net