El Rito poster-style illustration
Why We WaitWet sandstone breaks. The science, the casualties and one very salty crimp.

El Rito, NM

El Rito now
Drying out, but holds are likely still soft; no more rain expected
Rest day. Hit the gym or a rainy-day crag, and let the holds live.
Likely climbable by Thu, Nov 12 around 10 PM.
⚠ This could be a sandbag: shaded, north-facing or seeping rock can stay wet longer than the gauges suggest. Touch the rock and check the ground before you tie in.
Updated · updates hourly
Sun and shade
Chase the sun or hide in the shade?
Live sun and shade map ↗ · ShadeMap
Live radar

Live radar

Updates hourly
Loading radar…

The last hour of rain and snow on radar; the pin marks El Rito. Green is light, yellow to red is heavy. Radar: NOAA/National Weather Service. Mountains can block radar in parts of the West, so light rain may not show.

NWS radar ↗ · Windy radar ↗

Rain, last and next 7 days
Rain at El Ritomeasured forecast
Mon, Nov 2: 0.79 in measured0.79MTue, Nov 3: 0.06 in measured0.06TWed, Nov 4: 0.02 in measured0.02WThu, Nov 5: 0.00 in measuredTFri, Nov 6: 0.00 in measuredFSat, Nov 7: 0.00 in measuredSSun, Nov 8: 0.00 in measured•0%Mon, Nov 9: 0.00 in forecast, 0% chanceM0%Tue, Nov 10: 0.00 in forecast, 0% chanceT0%Wed, Nov 11: 0.00 in forecast, 0% chanceW0%Thu, Nov 12: 0.00 in forecast, 0% chanceT2%Fri, Nov 13: 0.00 in forecast, 2% chanceF20%Sat, Nov 14: 0.00 in forecast, 20% chanceS20%Sun, Nov 15: 0.00 in forecast, 20% chanceS
Last 7 daysNext 7 days
Gauges within 8 mi: COCO-NM-RA-69, 70NMC, TT790 · forecast: NWS
Rain gauges
Updates hourly

Last rain at these gauges: 88 h ago (3 days) · 0.02 in at Carson Portable #1, ending Wed 10 PM

Rain in the last 3 days: none <0.10 in 0.10–0.25 >0.25. Tap a gauge for its name and link.

Webcam

No webcam within about 20 mi of El Rito. Webcams near El Rito on Windy ↗ · NM road cameras ↗

Thanks and community

Local coalitions and stewards

Local climbing community

GroupsClimbers of New Mexico ↗
OnlineMountain Project Arizona & New Mexico forum ↗
Local guidance

Local guidance

General guidance El Rito's cobbles sit in a sand-and-mud matrix that softens when wet, so cobbles and holds can pop: let it dry fully. Carson National Forest asks climbers to avoid active raptor nests from mid-February through August, and rockfall makes helmets a good idea. No local wet-rock guidance was found for this area. The general rule for sandstone: most areas need 2 to 3 days after rain and up to a week after big storms. If the ground at the base is damp, the rock is too. Climbing: wet sandstone ↗

  • Rock Cobble conglomerate
  • Group Fragile when wet: red for 48 h after rain, caution to 72 h (96 h in winter)

El Rito on Mountain Project ↗New Mexico Climbers Resource and Advocacy Group (NMCRAG) ↗
Rain check details

Dry all around

Every gauge within 30 mi of El Rito stayed dry for the last 3 days.

Where the rain fell (72-hour totals)

AreaGaugesRain
El Rito areaEl Rito 0.0 SW, Zenitram Ranch/El Rito, Carson Portable #1, Alcalde 19 N, Bateman0.00 in
North, 23 miHopewell0.00 in
Northeast, 22 miTres Piedras Ranger Station0.00 in
Southeast, 20 miVelarde0.00 in
South, 22–27 miAlcalde, Alcalde ASC, East Rio Arriba SWCD, Black Mesa0.00 in
West, 18–26 miAbiquiu 12.6NW, Alire 3.9NW0.00 in

The site shows 🔴 Likely wet. Last rain: 0.02 in at CARSON PORTABLE #1, ending 88 h ago on rock still damp from earlier rain (about 0.95 in). Drying it out takes about 71 h of good drying weather; at the forecast humidity, wind and sun, the rock is likely still wet. Still, touch the rock before you tie in.

From 16 gauges out to 30 mi. Farther gauges as of 2:29 PM MST. Red means 0.10 in or more, amber a trace. Storm cells can be smaller than the gaps between gauges.
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Rain chance, wind and temperature

Rain chance, wind and temperature

Temperature: 60°F now · next 24 h 32–60°F

Freezing overnight (low 32°F): wet rock can freeze, and sandstone dries very slowly in the cold. Allow extra time.

Wind now: 6 mph from the SSE, gusts 9 · Zenitram Ranch/el Rito (70NMC), 4.1 mi, 29 min ago

2p55°33p54°34p52°25p47°16p42°17p40°38p38°59p37°310p36°311p35°212a34°21a34°2
No rain in today's forecast. Wind by hour (mph, arrow shows where it blows; g = gusts) and temperature. Forecast: National Weather Service.

NWS hourly forecast for El Rito ↗Sun and shade now (ShadeMap) ↗
Rain gauges

Last rain at these gauges: 88 h ago (3 days) · 0.02 in at Carson Portable #1, ending Wed 10 PM

  • El Rito 0.0 SW
    COCO-NM-RA-69 · 3.4 mi · checked 2:29 PM
    0.00 inlast 24 h
    Last rain 127 h ago (5 days): 0.73 in, ending Tue 7 AM
    One reading a day (a 24-h total), so no hourly bars
    Reports about daily · CoCoRaHS volunteer rain gauge (read daily)
  • Zenitram Ranch/el Rito
    70NMC · 4.1 mi · checked 2:29 PM
    0.00 inlast 24 h
    Last rain 147 h ago (6 days): 0.78 in, ending Mon 11 AM
    24 h ago12 hnow
    Reports every 5 min · New Mexico Climate Center station
  • Carson Portable #1
    TT790 · 4.7 mi · checked 2:29 PM
    0.00 inlast 24 h
    Last rain 88 h ago (3 days): 0.02 in, ending Wed 10 PM
    24 h ago12 hnow
    Reports hourly · Fire-weather station (RAWS), sends by GOES satellite
  • Alcalde 19 N
    COCO-NM-RA-7 · 8.4 mi · checked 2:29 PM
    0.00 inlast 24 h
    Last rain 127 h ago (5 days): 0.74 in, ending Tue 7 AM
    One reading a day (a 24-h total), so no hourly bars
    Reports about daily · CoCoRaHS volunteer rain gauge (read daily)
  • Bateman
    BAMN5 · 10.8 mi · checked 2:29 PM
    0.00 inlast 24 h
    Last rain 138 h ago (5 days): 1.70 in, ending Mon 8 PM
    24 h ago12 hnow
    Reports hourly · Mountain snow station (SNOTEL)

Bars show rain each hour over the last 24 h. "Last rain" looks back 7 days. Tap a gauge to see its full record (on MesoWest, or its own network's site). The site checks every gauge hourly.
Is it actually dry?

Check the rock yourself

Rain gauges measure rain, not rock. Sandstone is weak when wet and holds water long after the surface looks dry, especially on shady or seepy faces. If the ground is damp, the rock is too, and the route will still be there tomorrow if nobody breaks it.

Is it actually dry?

Field checks before you tie in

  • Is the sand at the base dry? It dries before the rock does; damp sand means wet rock.
  • Are the trail and the ground at the cliff base dry? If not, don't climb.
  • Look for dark damp patches, moisture behind flakes and inside cracks, and fresh sand on holds.
  • Shaded walls, spots under trees and grooves that channel water stay wet much longer.
  • Sun and wind dry rock fast; cloudy, calm, humid days slow it down, and winter drying is slow (great friction, bad drying).
  • After long, soaking rain the rock can stay wet inches deep. Give it extra time.
  • If any part of the route, base included, is wet, pick another climb. No send is worth a broken hold.
  • Wet day? These nearby crags aren't sandstone, so rain doesn't weaken the rock (it can still be slick), nearest first:
    1. White Rock basalt · 39 mi
    2. Diablo Canyon basalt · 41 mi
    3. Sandia Mountains (west side) granite · 83 mi
    Miles are straight line from El Rito. Links go to Mountain Project.
Thank you

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