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July brought much-needed moisture to Los Alamos, White Rock

The long-awaited summer rainy season finally arrived in earnest in July after a less than auspicious beginning. And by the end of the month, above average precipitation had fallen in Los Alamos.

The 3.13 inches of precipitation recorded in Los Alamos in July was slightly above normal (2.97 inches), said Laboratory meteorologist Jeremy Rishel of Meteorology and Air Quality (RRES-MAQ).

White Rock wasn't as fortunate, precipitation wise, last month, with 1.46 inches of precipitation recorded. Still, it was in stark contrast to July 2003 when only .26 of an inch of precipitation was measured in Los Alamos and .17 of an inch fell in White Rock. Normal precipitation in White Rock in July is 2.07 inches.

Through the end of July, Los Alamos has received 10.46 inches of precipitation, which is above normal, while in White Rock, 7.85 inches of precipitation has been received since Jan. 1, nearly 1 inch above normal.

"During the months of July and August, the low-level winds in the southwest shift from westerly and northwesterly and become southerly and southeasterly. As a result, low-level moisture from the Gulf of California and the Gulf of Mexico surges into the southwest region," said Rishel. "With plenty of solar heating and increased low-level moisture, daily afternoon and late-day thunderstorms often develop--a hallmark of the monsoon season. These summertime rains contribute significantly to the region's annual precipitation totals."

Rishel said the late start to the rainy season also cooled Los Alamos and White Rock late in July. The mean, mean maximum and minimum temperatures were all normal in Los Alamos. In White Rock, the mean maximum temperature of 87 degrees Fahrenheit was slightly above normal. The mean temperature of 69 F was slightly below normal, while the mean minimum of 52 F was 3 F below normal.

Four low temperature records were set last month in White Rock, including a low of 44 F on July 1 and 3; 46 F on July 28; and 47 F on July 30, besting the previous low minimum of 48 F set in 2000.

Rishel noted that the outlook for August, provided by the National Centers for Environmental Prediction, includes higher than normal temperatures and slightly below to near-normal precipitation in the area.

A 41 mile-per-hour wind gust was recorded July 3 in White Rock, The number of days in July during which gusts can be expected to exceed 40 mph is 0.83 in Los Alamos and 1.5 in White Rock.

-- Steve Sandoval

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