621
AXUS74 KEPZ 311749 RRA
DGTEPZ
NMZ022>025-030>32-TXC055>056-
DROUGHT INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EL PASO TEXAS /SANTA TERESA NEW MEXICO 900
1100 PM OCT 31 2009
...ABNORMALLY DRY CONDITIONS IN THE EASTERN THIRD OF OTERO COUNTY
ALONG WITH AND THE EXTREME NORTHEAST CORNER OF HUDSPETH COUNTY AND
THE WESTERN HALF OF HIDALGO COUNTY EXCEPT FOR SEVERE DROUGHT (D2)
CONDITIONS IN THE FAR MOST SOUTHWEST CORNER OF HIDALGO COUNTY...
SYNOPSIS...
RAINFALL IN THE EL PASO AREA IS RUNNING 83.7% OF NORMAL SO FAR THIS
YEAR. AFTER THE THIRD DRIEST START ON RECORD FROM JAN 1 THROUGH MAY
20...JUNE'S RAINFALL OF 2.24 INCHES (WITH A RECORD ANOMALY IN A
SINGLE EVENT OF OF 1.85 INCHES ON JUNE 28) WAS 257 PERCENT ABOVE
NORMAL. THE OFFICIAL MONSOON SEASON IS NOW DEFINED AS JUNE 15 - SEP
30. THUS SO FAR...WE HAVE RECEIVED 5.82 INCHES WHICH IS 110% OF
NORMAL PRECIPITATION FOR THIS MONSOON SEASON. HOWEVER PRECIPITATION
F0R JULY AND AUG WAS ONLY 33% OF NORMAL BUT PRECIPITATION FOR
SEPTEMBER IS RUNNING 174% OF NORMAL WITH SEPTEMBER 17TH SETTING A
NEW DAILY RECORD OF .8 INCHES. OVERALL PRECIPITATION IS RUNNING FROM
25 TO 80 % OF NORMAL WEST OF THE RIO GRANDE. OTHER AREAS ARE BELOW
NORMAL WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE RIO GRANDE VALLEY FROM EL PASO
NORTHWARD ALONG THE RIVER TO CENTRAL SIERRA COUNTY WHERE RAINFALL SO
FAR THIS YEAR IS RUNNING FROM 80% TO 125% OF NORMAL...SOME AREAS IN
THE SACRAMENTO MOUNTAINS (MOSTLY EASTERN PORTION) ARE RUNNING ABOVE
NORMAL SO FAR THIS YEAR. HUDSPETH COUNTY IS RUNNING FROM 5% TO 50%
OF NORMAL. THE OVERALL LOWER AMOUNTS OF RAINFALL AMOUNTS AND THE
SPOTTY NATURE OF THE THUNDERSTORMS IN JULY AND AUGUST CAN BE
ATTRIBUTED TO THE PLACEMENT OF THE SUMMER SUBTROPICAL RIDGE WHICH
HAS PERSISTENTLY BEEN LOCATED OVER NEW MEXICO AND ARIZONA WHICH HAS
BEEN AN INSTRUMENTAL FACTOR IN SUPPRESSING THE GENERAL MONSOON
CONVECTION.
THE CURRENT U.S. DROUGHT MONITOR MAP CAN BE FOUND
AT...HTTP://DROUGHT.UNL.EDU/DM/MONITOR.HTML
..ENSO ALERT STATUS: AN EL NINO 'ADVISORY' IS NOW IN EFFECT
EL
NINO CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE TO LAST THROUGH THE NORTHERN
HEMISPHERE WINTER OF 2009-2010 AND ARE FORECAST TO PEAK IN LATE 2009
INTO EARLY 2010...
..SEASONAL DROUGHT OUTLOOK
THE U.S. SEASONAL DROUGHT OUTLOOK WHICH FORECASTS THE DROUGHT
TENDENCY FROM SEPTEMBER 26,2009 THROUGH JANUARY 2010 SHOWS NO CHANGE IN
PRESENT CONDITIONS FOR SOUTHERN NEW MEXICO AND FAR WEST TEXAS.
VIEW THESE FORECASTS AT HTTP://WWW.DROUGHT.UNL.EDU/DM/FORECAST.HTML
IMPACTS...
D2 = SEVERE DROUGHT CONDITIONS ARE CHARACTERIZED BY CROP OR PASTURE
LOSSES. FIRE RISK IS VERY HIGH WITH SOME WATER SHORTAGES. IF WATER
ARE NEEDED THEY WOULD BE TYPICALLY VOLUNTARY OR LOCALLY MANDATED. D2
DROUGHT IS DEFINED AS A 1 IN 10 YEAR DROUGHT.
D1 = MODERATE CONDITIONS ARE CHARACTERIZED BY SOME DAMAGE TO CROPS
AND PASTURES WITH HIGH FIRE RISK AND STREAM AND RESERVOIR LEVELS
THAT ARE FOR THE MOST PART LOW. WATER SHORTAGES START TO DEVELOP
AND IN SOME AREAS VOLUNTARY WATER USE RESTRICTIONS MAY BE REQUESTED.
D0 = ABNORMALLY DRY CONDITIONS SIGNAL THE POSSIBLE ONSET OF DROUGHT
WITH SLOW CROP GROWTH ELEVATED FIRE RISK DANGER TO ABOVE AVERAGE.
REMEMBER THAT DROUGHT IS THE LEADING HAZARD IN ECONOMIC LOSES EACH
YEAR IN THE UNITED STATES. THE EXTREME DROUGHT OVER CENTRAL TEXAS
DURING THE LAST YEAR HAS INFLICTED A ONE BILLION DOLLAR LOST TO
AGRICULTURE INTERESTS IN THE LONE START STATE ALREADY AND IS STILL
PERSISTING IN SOME PARTS OF SOUTHERN TEXAS AT THIS TIME.
PRECIPITATION/TEMPERATURE OUTLOOKS...
WITH THE ONGOING EL NINO...THE CLIMATE PREDICTION CENTER OF NOAA
CONTINUES TO PREDICT HIGHER THAN NORMAL CHANCES FOR PRECIPITATION
OVER SOUTHERN NEW MEXICO AND FAR WEST TEXAS FROM DECEMBER 2009 INTO
MAY OF 2010.
NEXT ISSUANCE DATE...
THIS PRODUCT WILL USUALLY BE UPDATED AT LEAST ONCE A MONTH OR MORE
OFTEN IF SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN WEATHER...WATER SUPPLY...OR DROUGHT
CONDITIONS OCCUR.
RELATED WEB SITES...
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON CURRENT OR PAST DROUGHT CONDITIONS MAY BE
FOUND AT THE FOLLOWING WEB ADDRESSES /USE LOWER CASE LETTERS/...
U.S DROUGHT MONITOR...HTTP://DROUGHT.UNL.EDU/DM/MONITOR.HTML
NWS PRECIPITATION ANALYSIS PAGE...
HTTP://WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV/RFCSHARE/PRECIP_ANALYSIS_NEW.PHP
PUBLIC LANDS INFORMATION CENTER...
HTTP://PUBLICLANDS.ORG/FIRENEWS/PRESSRELEASES/NM.PHP
CLIMATOLOGY AND PALEOCLIMATOLOGY LINKS...
HTTP://WWW.DROUGHT.UNL.EDU/WHATIS/CLIMLINKS.HTM
WESTERN REGIONAL CLIMATE CENTER...
HTTP://WWW.WRCC.DRI.EDU/INDEX.HTML
CLIMATE PREDICTION CENTER...HTTP://WWW.CPC.NCEP.NOAA.GOV/
ADDITIONAL RIVER INFORMATION...
NWS...HTTP://AHPS.SRH.NOAA.GOV/INDEX.PHP?WFO=ABQ
USGS...HTTP://WATERDATA.USGS.GOV/NM/NWIS/CURRENT?TYPE=FLOW
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS...
THE U.S. DROUGHT MONITOR IS A MULTI-AGENCY EFFORT INVOLVING THE
NOAA NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AND NATIONAL CLIMATIC DATA CENTER...
THE USDA...STATE AND REGIONAL CLIMATE CENTERS AND THE NATIONAL
DROUGHT MITIGATION CENTER.
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
7955 AIRPORT ROAD
SANTA TERESA NM 88008
PHONE...505-589-4088
DAVID NOVLAN CLIMATE FOCAL POINT
DAVE.NOVLAN@NOAA.GOV
WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV/ELPASO
NOVLAN
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