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SOUTHWEST
WEATHER BULLETIN National Weather Service Forecast Office El Paso/Santa Teresa Volume 7 Issue 2 Autumn/Winter 2003-2004 Edition |
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2003:THE YEAR WITHOUT A MONSOON |
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SOUTHWEST
WEATHER BULLETIN National Weather Service Forecast Office El Paso/Santa Teresa Volume 7 Issue 2 Autumn/Winter 2003-2004 Edition |
|
2003:THE YEAR WITHOUT A MONSOON |
| Contents: Weather Highlights pages 1-2 Spotter Call In Criteria page 2 Winter Storms page 3 Southwest Winter Weather Hazards page 5 El Paso Welcomes New Area Manager Page 6 WCM Alert page 7 William Alexander- Area Manager
John Fausett-Warning |
 On April 15 wind gusts over 60 mph produced widespread blowing dust and low visibilities over Santa Teresa N.M. ( above) and other areas across the borderland. ( Photographed by Charlotte Rogash) Seasonal Weather Highlights April 15: Wind gusts exceed 60 mph across much of the region with widespread blowing dust and sand. Visibilities were reduced to near zero along Highway 180 northwest of Deming causing multi-vehicle collisions with two deaths. The strong winds also ripped a roof from a house in El Paso and caused an 18-wheeler to overturn on Transmountain Road. May 3-4: Wind gusts near 50 mph bring widespread blowing dust and low visibilities across most areas. May 23: El Paso ties high temperature record by reaching 99 degrees. |
The
spring of 2003 was typical for southern New Mexico and far western Texas with seasonably warm temperatures, little rainfall and periods of strong gusty winds and blowing dust. However after the onset of summer, the weather pattern evolved in an unusual manner as high pressure in the upper levels of the atmosphere stubbornly persisted over New Mexico. As a result the air mass across the borderland remained stable while deeper moisture was diverted south and west of the region. So while Arizona saw periods of heavy summer rainfall, the deserts and lowlands of southern New Mexico and far western Texas remained unusually dry. El Paso's total rainfall for June, July and August was only 1.7 inches or only about 40 percent of normal. May 25: Early afternoon severe thunderstorms drop
one-inch diameter hail at Mayhill in Otero County N.M. June 5: Small tornado blows down trees near Whitetail in Otero County with thunderstorms also producing 70 mph gusts over White Sands Missile Range. June 17: Thunderstorms drop two inches of rain near
Kingston in Sierra County N.M. |
