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Warm, dry weather dominated September picture in Los Alamos, White Rock

After a relatively normal August weatherwise in Los Alamos and White Rock, September returned to a warm and dry pattern in the two communities.

It also was a windy September with wind gusts some 5 to 20 percent stronger than normal in Los Alamos and White Rock, said Scot Johnson, a meteorologist in Meteorology and Air Quality (RRES-MAQ).

Temperatures in Los Alamos and White Rock were greater than normal last month; Los Alamos' mean maximum temperature was 74 degrees Fahrenheit, or 3 F above normal, for example.

To the east, White Rock's mean maximum temperature of 79 F also was 3 F above normal. Only White Rock's mean minimum temperature of 45 F was below normal, said Johnson.

No temperature records were tied or established in Los Alamos last month. But White Rock had a number of temperature marks established, including a high temperature of 87 F on Sept. 26 and 86 F on Sept. 29. The overnight temperature of 37 F on Sept. 12 was a new minimum record, breaking the old mark of 39 F set in 1986.

Less than one inch of precipitation was recorded at the Technical Area 6 measuring station in Los Alamos in September. The amount (.84) was a far cry from the 2.12 inches of precipitation in Los Alamos in September 2002 and only 40 percent of normal for the month.

It was much the same story in White Rock in September, where only .44 inches of precipitation was recorded at the Technical Area 54 measuring station. The figure is about 30 percent of normal for the month and a large decrease from the 2.46 inches of precipitation recorded in September 2002.

Wind gusts exceeding 40 miles per hour were recorded Sept. 3 and 9 in Los Alamos and Sept. 9 in White Rock. Winds in September, as measured by average wind speed and average maximum daily gust speed were between 10 and 20 percent stronger than normal in Los Alamos and between 5 and 15 percent stronger than normal in White Rock.

Johnson noted that the seasonal outlook for October through December, provided by the National Centers for Environmental Prediction, includes higher than normal temperatures and lower than normal precipitation in the area. The forecast for winter 2003-04 includes higher than normal temperatures and normal precipitation. El Niño/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) indices are neutral and are not expected to vary significantly this winter. The Pacific Decadal Oscillation index has been hovering near zero in recent months and it does not at this time appear that it will have a significant impact on precipitation in the area this winter, Johnson added.

For more information about weather in the region, go to http://weather.lanl.gov/ online.

-- Steve Sandoval

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