Crazy Variations In Low Temperatures In SE NM This Morning.

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South Of Cloudcroft, NM 10-7-2017.

NWS MesoWest Reported Low Temps This Morning.



NWS MesoWest Reported High Temps This Afternoon.



Davis WeatherLink High/Low Temps This Morning.

Cottonwood - Northwest Of Artesia.


Dimension Point Observatory - West Of Mayhill.


2.1 NNW Downtown Carlsbad.


Local Low Temperatures This Morning.

PWS West Cox Canyon - South Of Cloudcroft 23ºF
PWS Cloudcroft Fire Station 30ºF
PWS Dark Ridge Observatory - Weed 31ºF
PWS Cottonwood - Northwest Of Artesia 32ºF.
Artesia Climate Co-Op Station 35ºF
Carlsbad Airport ASOS 37ºF
Hobbs Airport AWOS 37ºF
Artesia Airport AWOS 39ºF
Hope Climate Co-Op Station 39ºF
Sierra Blanca Regional Airport AWOS 39ºF
Brantley Dam Climate Co-Op Station 40ºF
PWS 2.1 NNW Downtown Carlsbad 40ºF
Carlsbad Climate Co-Op Station 42ºF
Roswell Airport ASOS 42ºF
Holloman AFB ASOS Alamogordo 42ºF

Sometimes the weather can play tricks on us. Notice that the Ski Apache Personal Weather Station (PWS) located west of Ruidoso and at an elevation of 10,974' reported the warmest overnight lowest temperature with a reading of 50ºF. Not far away and to the south of Cloudcroft the Personal Weather Station in West Cox Canyon at elevation of 8,760' reported a low this morning of 23ºF for the coldest reading locally. 

So how does a weather station on the side of  Sierra Blanca Peak at nearly 11,000' come in with a reading of 50ºF while the West Cox Canyon Station south of Cloudcroft and at 8,700' come in with a reading of 23ºF. Simple...its called a temperature inversion which are fairly common in the mountains. Meaning that a layer of colder air in the high mountain valleys of the Sacramento Mountains was trapped underneath a warmer layer higher up. 

The same thing happened in the Pecos Valley overnight too. Notice that Guadalupe Pass located at 5,449' reported a low of 46ºF while the Personal Weather Station in Cottonwood northwest of Artesia reported 32ºF. 

Pockets of colder air in the lower valleys got trapped by a warmer airmass aloft and created these weird readings. This is not as uncommon this time of the year as you may think either.

The Truth Is Stranger Than Fiction!

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