Albuquerque August Precipitation: 2011 vs. 2012

Do you know if you got more or less precipitation than last year in August?  Based on the maps below, our guess is you received less.

Since the only official station is at the Albuquerque Sunport, we again thank the dedicated members of the Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow (CoCoRaHS) Network which help fill in the gaps across Albuquerque. Below are two maps showing the distribution of precipitation across Albuquerque for August 2011 and August 2012. 
 
ABQ August 2011 Precipitation ABQ August 2012 Precipitation

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 August 2011  August 2012  
     

Precipitation amounts in August 2012 were generally less than precipitation amounts last August.  Many areas on the westside received less than one half inch. Some areas in Rio Rancho even received less than one quarter inch!  The biggest difference, however, is along the foothills.  These areas received only a third or less of the precipitation that fell last year.
 
Normal August precipitation at the Albuquerque Sunport is 1.58 inches.  This August, the Sunport received 1.62 inches, or just above normal. In fact, aside from areas near Placitas, the Albuquerque Sunport received more rainfall in August than any other rain gauge in the metro area. Most of the total comes from heavy rains on the 16th and 18th, 0.52" and 0.63", respectively.  Furthermore, areas around the Sunport may be the only areas that received more precipitation this August than last August. Below are tables for the wettest and driest August's on record since 1897.
 
Top 5 Wettest August's Top 5 Driest August's
Precipitation Year Precipitation Year
3.74" 2006,1935 0.00" 1903
3.30" 1967 Trace 1962
3.29" 1988 0.08" 1950
3.25" 1940 0.13" 1900
3.05" 1933 0.17" 1938
 
If you missed how July 2012 compared to July 2011, you can check it out here.
 
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