I'm in Albuquerque which I'm told is zone 7, and looking in a few
books they too show zone 7 (large US maps). However I snagged a
copy of Sunsets "Western Garden Book" from the local library
Saturday and it shows me in zone 10 (state map and of course more
detailed than a US map).

The USDA climate zone system is based solely on average minimum winter
temperature. Sunset garden zones are completely different. The book will
explain their system. Understanding both will improve your ability to know
which plants are best for your locale. I'm in USDA zone 5, average winter
minimum -10 to -20 F. I am also in Sunset zone 40, based on the Sunset National
Garden Book. This is an area that stretches along the lower edge of the Great
Lakes, but not close to the water. It is an area that was originally forest,
mostly fertile soil, moderate rainfall, cold, snowy winters, and short but
moderately hot summers.


Iris,
Central NY, Zone 5a, Sunset Zone 40
"If we see light at the end of the tunnel, It's the light of the oncoming
train."
Robert Lowell (1917-1977)