Monsoons In New Mexico (Albuquerque, Ruidoso: how much, house, fence)

[Informer]

Greetings All,

The Southwestern monsoons pale in comparison to the ones received in and around India where they can receive 25 inches of rain in one month - just to put things into perspective.

The Southwestern monsoon season typically starts around the end of June and runs through mid to late September. It is nothing more than a shift in the prevailing wind pattern to the south which brings in a humid gulf of Mexico air mass. With all of the humid air in place a catalyst is needed for storms to form being it orogaphic lifting (the Sandia's for example), frontal wedging (rare event during summer months) or intense heat from the sun.

The thing that is extremely unusal about this monsoon season is the consistant flow from the south of humid air. Typically the moisture ramps up, it rains than the humdity levels drop off.

So in essence we are talking about a record setting monsoon season here.

This is a not typical monsoon event for New Mexico.

Should we start paying some creedence to Al Gore?

Cheers...

[Chaparral]

Originally Posted by Mark S.

Technically a monsoon is a Pacific hurricane, and you have to have an ocean for that. NM doesn't.

Actually, if we are speaking technically a Pacific hurricane would be a typhoon.

And while it is true that NM is land-locked, historically it has definitely been impacted by the seasonal monsoon dynamic fed by moisture from the Gulf of Mexico and the Pacific. We just haven't had much of it making it up this way the last few years. Guess we're making up for it in 2006.

[Cathy4017]

However, should I be very concerned about living near the SF river? (like real near?)

Well, any time you live on the floodplain (and REAL NEAR is just that, a floodplain) that is part and parcel of any given river, the chances of your home flooding are that much greater.

When I get ready to move, I'm looking to be on much higher ground...and as far away from the river(s) as possible. It flooded in El Paso just as it is in New Mexico this year. Those living nearest the river (south, central and Canutillo/Doniphan Rds) got the brunt of the damaging water.

[Lehi]

If anybody is interested, here is a report about The North American Monsoon System.

http://www.srh.noaa.gov/abq/climate/.../July/nams.htm

[phf919]

Thx for the input, certainly food for thought in making the best rental choice.

[Mark S.]

Originally Posted by Chaparral

Actually, if we are speaking technically a Pacific hurricane would be a typhoon.

You are correct. My bad.

[james57]

In checking the 90 day weather forecast, it appears that southern NM is due for a wetter than normal monsoon season. Let's hope so. We certainly don't need any more rain here in Illinois. Some farmer's fields are still not planted as we enter June!

[mcol]

From what I observed living in NM 14 years, it runs in patterns.
Every few years it gets wetter than normal, then settles into
a drier pattern over the next few years. I remember an
extremely wet spring of 1995 for example, everything was
so green!! Until I moved to Missouri though, I didn't know
what rain or intense storms actually were - and not sure I
wanted to know! We'll be getting dry here this summer, and
hot as all get out, so better enjoy that moisture now.

[caydriver]

Not into the monsoons yet but have had a little more rain than usual. Agree, it runs in cycles.

[Hunter Wold]

rain is badly needed here on the western side.
Last year at this time it was very green and the garden was doing well.

This year...well the garden is suffering....


Hope we get the rain soon...or..

HW