Is it good to paint in Las Cruces, NM this week?
A live 7-day go/no-go calendar for exterior paint in Las Cruces, built from the local forecast against the 5°F-above-dew-point rule. We lead with the signal a weather app misses: overnight condensation risk.
- Dew margin
- 2.3°F
- Overnight dew
- High
- Rain
- 5%
- Window
- —
High condensation risk overnight — surface dips to within 2.3°F of the 51°F dew point (low 52°F, 2% cloud, 2 mph wind). A fresh paint can blush/blister. Stop 4h before dew falls.
- Dew margin
- 5.5°F
- Overnight dew
- Low
- Rain
- 3%
- Window
- 11am–5pm
High humidity (92%, over the 85% mark) slows drying — keep an eye on the cure window.
- Dew margin
- 2.2°F
- Overnight dew
- High
- Rain
- 0%
- Window
- —
High condensation risk overnight — surface dips to within 2.2°F of the 53°F dew point (low 55°F, 0% cloud, 3 mph wind). A fresh paint can blush/blister. Stop 4h before dew falls.
- Dew margin
- -2.2°F
- Overnight dew
- High
- Rain
- 3%
- Window
- —
High condensation risk overnight — surface dips to within -2.2°F of the 56°F dew point (low 54°F, 0% cloud, 8 mph wind). A fresh paint can blush/blister. Stop 4h before dew falls.
- Dew margin
- -0.8°F
- Overnight dew
- High
- Rain
- 9%
- Window
- —
High condensation risk overnight — surface dips to within -0.8°F of the 56°F dew point (low 55°F, 31% cloud, 5 mph wind). A fresh paint can blush/blister. Stop 4h before dew falls.
- Dew margin
- -1.9°F
- Overnight dew
- High
- Rain
- 9%
- Window
- —
High condensation risk overnight — surface dips to within -1.9°F of the 58°F dew point (low 56°F, 100% cloud, 12 mph wind). A fresh paint can blush/blister. Stop 4h before dew falls.
- Dew margin
- 0.7°F
- Overnight dew
- High
- Rain
- 4%
- Window
- —
High condensation risk overnight — surface dips to within 0.7°F of the 59°F dew point (low 59°F, 0% cloud, 13 mph wind). A fresh paint can blush/blister. Stop 4h before dew falls.
- High condensation risk overnight — surface dips to within 2.3°F of the 51°F dew point (low 52°F, 2% cloud, 2 mph wind). A fresh paint can blush/blister. Stop 4h before dew falls.
- High humidity (91%, over the 85% mark) slows drying — keep an eye on the cure window.
Hold off. These are forecast numbers — confirm the surface temperature on-site before you start.
Why these thresholds
Overnight dew condensing on a fresh coat causes blistering, surfactant leaching and peeling — the cause of 40%+ of exterior paint failures.
- • Surface temp must stay 5°F above the dew point through application and cure (ASTM D3276 / ISO 8502-42).
- • Air + surface in the 50–85°F band (low-temp lines to 35°F).
- • Humidity under 85%; ideally under 70%.
- • No rain for 24h after application.
- • We use the forecast ground-surface temperature as a surface-temp proxy — confirm on-site with an IR thermometer.
Free in the beta
Watch this job site 24/7
Get an email the moment overnight dew, rain, or an out-of-range stretch threatens a fresh coat — and a morning digest with the best window ahead. No app to check; we watch the forecast for you.