Editing Thoreau, New Mexico (section)

==Geography==
Thoreau is located in central McKinley County at an altitude of approximately {{convert|7140|ft}} above sea level, and is {{convert|5|mi|0}} east of the [[Continental Divide of the Americas|Continental Divide]]. Thoreau is located in a broad valley beneath a large escarpment of Entrada sandstone, which marks the southern boundary of the [[Colorado Plateau]] to the north. [[Mount Powell (New Mexico)|Mount Powell]] and [[Castle Rock (New Mexico)|Castle Rock]] are landmarks along this escarpment adjacent to Thoreau. The [[Zuñi Mountains]] are to the south.

[[Interstate 40 in New Mexico|Interstate 40]] and the historic [[U.S. Route 66]] pass near and through the community, respectively. The highways lead west {{convert|30|mi}} to [[Gallup, New Mexico|Gallup]], the McKinley [[county seat]], and southeast the same distance to [[Grants, New Mexico|Grants]]. New Mexico State highways [[New Mexico State Road 122|122]], [[New Mexico State Road 371|371]], and [[New Mexico State Road 612|612]] also pass through or terminate here. Additionally, two natural gas pipelines and a major railway pass through the community.

According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the Thoreau CDP has a total area of {{convert|39.5|sqmi}}, all land.<ref name="CenPopGazetteer2024"/> The community sits in a valley drained by Mitchell Draw, which runs southeast to the [[Rio San Jose]], part of the [[Rio Puerco (Rio Grande tributary)|Rio Puerco]] watershed leading to the [[Rio Grande]].

The climate in Thoreau is arid, with the sparse vegetation typical of the region. Common plants include pinyon pine and juniper trees, sagebrush, tumbleweeds, and some short, sparse grasses. The four seasons are well pronounced. Summers are relatively mild, due to Thoreau's high elevation and persistently low humidities. Maximum temperatures do not usually exceed about {{convert|33|°C|°F|abbr=on}}. The southwest [[monsoon]] brings thunderstorms with frequent lightning in July and August. Autumn is pleasant with warm days and cool nights. Winter is marked by frequent snowstorms, with minimum temperatures sometimes dropping to about {{convert|-15|°C|°F|abbr=on}} or colder. Cold, persistent, very high winds are common in spring, usually through much of the month of March.