If it feels like this year’s monsoon season arrived a little early, that’s because it did.
Throughout the evening Saturday, the National Weather Service’s Albuquerque office issued severe thunderstorm and flash flood warnings — which indicate weather events are in progress or highly likely — for much of Northern and Central New Mexico. The predictions were realized: Rain drenched parts of the Albuquerque metropolitan area and East Mountains on Saturday night at rates as high as 4 to 5 inches per hour, Michael Anand, an Albuquerque-based National Weather Service meteorologist, said Sunday.
The Santa Fe area got soaked as well — the weather service said the airport received 1.12 inches between 7 p.m. Saturday and about 3 a.m. Sunday — and the Cerrillos and Madrid areas were under a flash flood warning Sunday morning. But the biggest hit came in Albuquerque, where a news release issued Sunday said the state’s biggest city got 1.48 inches in just 90 minutes. Hardest hit were Martineztown and Barelas in the city’s downtown area.
The additional rainfall comes as many Northern New Mexico towns — including Las Vegas and communities along the Rio Chama — are still reeling from flooding last week. More rain is expected in the northwestern corner of the state but may offer a much-needed break for rain-soaked Eastern New Mexico.
Though forecasts predict clearer skies for Fourth of July fireworks, Anand said residents can expect more moisture this week, particularly Wednesday.
“This monsoon season definitely got [off] to an earlier start,” he said.
The reason behind this year’s early start: There’s record moisture in the air.
Meteorologists measure what’s called precipitable water, or the amount of moisture within a small vertical column of the atmosphere. `It’s essentially the amount of moisture in the air that any given storm has to work with, Anand explained.
Around 6 p.m. Saturday, the National Weather Service’s Albuquerque office measured precipitable water of 1.18 inches, much higher than June 30 averages of slightly over a half-inch.
“We’re talking almost double,” Anand said.
The additional atmospheric moisture may lead to even more flooding in areas near pre-existing burn scars.
“It doesn’t really take much more rainfall out there; the soil is already saturated,” Anand said of communities near the Hermits Peak/Calf Canyon burn scar. “And so basically, if they get any sort of rainfall, flash flooding is imminent and very likely.”
A flash flood watch — which indicates hydrologic conditions are favorable to flash flooding but without flooding being certain or imminent — will remain in effect for residents near the Hermits Peak/Calf Canyon burn scar as well as the Blue 2, South Fork and Salt burn scars near Ruidoso, according to a weather service forecast Sunday. In the coming days, Anand recommended Northern New Mexico residents — particularly those living near flood-prone burn scars — remain aware of the forecast and adhere to official road closures and barricades. “If you see high water, we always say, ‘Turn around, don’t drown,’ ” he said. “Just play it smart.”
