Enjoy Today's Weather - Lots of Wind & Dust Sun & Mon.

- March 31, 2012

Maps Are Courtesy Of The Midland NWS Office.

Map Is Courtesy Of NWS Lubbock.

Maps Are Courtesy Of The Albuquerque NWS Office.

Maps Are Courtesy Of The El Paso NWS Office.

Enjoy today's weather because Sunday and Monday are not looking too good for us. Southwesterly winds are forecast to increase tomorrow with gusts generally in the 40 mph range tomorrow, and the 40-60 mph range on Monday. Areas of blowing dust will also plague parts of the area, and on Monday also.

Today and Sunday is going to be downright hot with afternoon highs in the low-mid 90's. So blast furnace weather has returned to SE NM. A cold front will sweep eastward through the state Sunday night and Monday morning. Monday and Tuesday will be cooler with highs generally in the upper 60's to the low 70's.

Rainfall/Drought Status Update.

Maps Are Courtesy Of The Climate Prediction Center.

No rain is expected to fall today as we end the month of March. Typically March is one of the driest months of the year and this year has lived up to that reputation.

I recorded .05" for the month here at my home in Carlsbad, which brings my year to date total to .38". The normal 30-year (1981 - 2010) Jan - Mar average for the Carlsbad Climate Coop Station is 1.51". The normal 30-year (1981 - 2010) Jan - Mar average for the Carlsbad Airport is 1.42".

We entered the current Exceptional Drought in Oct 2010. My rainfall for Oct 2010 - Mar 2012 now stands at 6.35". The normal 30-year (1981 - 2010) Oct 2010 - Mar 2012 average for the Carlsbad Climate Coop Station is 17.28". The normal 30-year (1981 - 2010) Oct 2010 - Mar 2012 average for the Carlsbad Airport is 17.53".

The Carlsbad Airport ASOS has recorded a whopping total of 3.86" of rain since Oct 2010. Using the 30-year rainfall normal's (1981 - 2010), the Carlsbad Airport rainfall is running some 13.67" below normal for the eighteen month period.

So, here at my home I am running some 11" behind what would be considered the normal average rainfall for the past eighteen months, using the 30-year averages. My rainfall totals here at my home is one of the wetter ones here locally over the past eighteen months.

Many stations in SE NM have recorded eighteen month rainfall totals of between 3" - 5". Long term average yearly rainfall (100-110 years), for the Pecos Valley is generally around 12". Using the long term rainfall averages, most of SE NM continues to run behind some 12" - 15" over the past eighteen months. No short term relief is in sight.

The Truth Is Stranger Than Fiction!

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