Best Shot At Rain In Awhile.

Blog Updated At 8:35 AM MDT Saturday, July 15, 2017.

 Year-To-Date Rainfall Totals.

 (Jan 1st - July 13th, 2017).

 Year-To-Date Rainfall Totals.

 (Jan 1st - July 13th, 2017).

 Year-To-Date Rainfall Totals.

 (Jan 1st - July 13th, 2017).

July 2017 Rainfall Totals.

(July 1st -July 13th).

July 2017 Rainfall Totals.

(July 1st -July 13th).

July 2017 Rainfall Totals.

(July 1st -July 13th).

What Are Our Long Term Rainfall Averages?

Several people have been asking me when does our monsoon season begin here in Southeastern New Mexico? Typically it starts in New Mexico around the first two weeks of July and runs through September. July, August, and September are our three wettest months of the year locally. Notice that the Sacramento Mountains get a lot of rain in July and August and then start drying out by September. But across the Southeastern Plains our wettest month is September. This can be attributed to low level Gulf of Mexico southeasterly upslope flow combing with the first cold fronts of the fall moving southward from Canada. As well as remnant moisture tropical moisture overspreading the area from dying Hurricanes moving in from the eastern Pacific, and sometimes the Gulf of Mexico.

Long Range Average Rainfall.

Albuquerque, NM-

(1897-2016).

July 1.41"

Aug 1.46"

Sept .95"

Roswell, NM-

(1893-2016).

July 1.98"

Aug 1.70"

Sept 1.74"

Artesia, NM-

(1905-2016).

July 1.76"

Aug 1.67"

Sept 1.81"

Hope, NM-

(1905-2016).

July 2.02"

Aug 2.17"

Sept 2.57"

Carlsbad, NM-

(1900-2016).

July 1.87"

Aug 1.78"

Sept 2.13"

Carlsbad, NM Airport-

(1930-2016).

July 1,80"

Aug 1.90"

Sept 2.30"

Carlsbad Caverns, NM-

(1930-2016).

July 2.09"

Aug 2.29"

Sept 2.97"

Pine Springs, TX-

(1939-2009).

Jul 3.25"

Aug 3.62"

Sept 2.65"

Tatum, NM-

(1919-2016).

July 2.46"

Aug 2.40"

Sept 2.36"

Hobbs, NM-

(1912-2016).

July 2.16"

Aug 2.37"

Sept 2.54"

Jal, NM-

(1919-2016).

July 1.82"

Aug 1.79"

Sept 2.08"

Elk, NM-

(1895-2016).

July 3.09"

Aug 3.28"

Sept 2.64"

Ruidoso, NM-

(1941-2014).

July 4.03"

Aug 4.21"

Sept 2.53"

Cloudcroft, NM-

(1901-2016).

July 5.53"

Aug 5.35"

Sept 2.93"

Alamogordo, NM-

(1909-2009).

July 1.79"

Aug 2.04"

Sept 1.52"

Las Cruces, NM-

(1897-2016)

July 1.12" 

Aug 1.16"

Sept .63"

El Paso, TX-

(1878-2016).

July 1.67"

Aug 1.59"

Sept 1.35"

Best Shot At Rain Today In SE NM In Awhile.

RAP 500 MB (18,000' MSL) Analysis.

Valid At 4 AM MDT.

Courtesy Of NWS Midland.

This morning a weak upper level low was located over northern Mexico south of El Paso, Texas. Low level and mid level flows are from the southeast so a decent fetch of moisture is overspreading the area with dew point temperatures in the 60's. A short wave ejecting northwestward around the east side of the low will move into the area today aiding in the development of showers and thunderstorms. Today offers the best shot at thunderstorms over the local area in awhile. Some of these will produce locally heavy rainfall amounts which may reach 1" to 3" in the heavier storms. Localized flash flooding could also become a concerning with a few of these thunderstorms.

The Truth Is Stranger Than Fiction!