JULY 2004 WEATHER HIGHLIGHTS FOR NEW MEXICO

July 2004 was cooler and wetter than normal over a majority of locations across New Mexico.

The drying trend that began in the west at the end of June continued across most of the state in early July.  A few thunderstorms remained over the northeast on the 1st and 2nd, with one report of severe weather on the 2nd near Amistad.  Some moisture from an old tropical depression, combined with a weak upper level disturbance, delivered a few thunderstorms to the state on the 3rd and 4th of July.  A cold front, along with a large complex of thunderstorms over eastern Colorado, brought plenty of moisture into the east on the 6th, triggering a round of thunderstorms with isolated severe storms during the afternoon and evening hours of the 6th and 7th.  The first indication of the monsoon season began on the 9th and 10th, as moisture seeped north from Mexico.  Several reports of flash flooding were received over the eastern plains, including Harding, Roosevelt and Chaves counties. Albuquerque then had its turn at some flooding on the 12th, when a slow moving thunderstorm moved through the Duke city from the north.  Eight inches of water was reported on a few city streets.  After a brief lull on the 13th through 15th, an upswing in thunderstorms returned from the 16th through 18th as a back door cold front brought a fresh batch of low level moisture to much of the state.  Isolated severe weather and flash flooding were reported in the far northeast on the 16th and 17th. A ridge of high pressure aloft was centered over western New Mexico from the 19th through 21st.  A good deal of moisture remained across the state though, with more reports of isolated severe storms and flash flooding on the 19th through 21st.  The most impressive rain was during the nighttime hours on the 20th and early morning hours of the 21st, when a large cluster of thunderstorms moved slowly south across the eastern plains.  Yet another cold front pressed into the northeast on the 23rd and moved south and west early on the 24th.  A large amount of moisture was again available to fuel more thunderstorms from the 23rd through 25th.  The northwest half of the state was most active on the 23rd, with heavy rain across the Albuquerque metro area. The southeast turned out to be the wettest late on the 24th, with heavy rain and flash flooding in the southeast plains.  Roads continued to be covered with water across Eddy county through the 25th.  The period from the 21st through 25th was a wet one, with some impressive five day rainfall totals across the Land of Enchantment.  The last cold front of the month moved into the northeast on the 28th, with heavy rain reported around Clayton.  An observer northeast of town reported 2.29 inches in about two hours time.  As July came to a close, an overall drying trend had begun across the state as strong high pressure aloft became anchored over the Land of Enchantment.  

Heavy Rain Across The Albuquerque Metro Area on the 23rd

TEMPERATURE AND PRECIPITATION DATA FOR ALBUQUERQUE - JULY 2004

Albuquerque daily actual maximum (red bars) and normal maximum (purple line) temperatures - July 2004

The average maximum temperature for July 2004 was 90.6o, which was 1.7 degrees below the 30 year normal of 92.3o.

Albuquerque daily actual minimum (blue bars) and normal minimum (purple line) temperatures - July 2004

The average minimum temperature for the month was 65.1o, which was 0.4 degrees above the normal of 64.7o.  The average temperature for July was 77.9o which was 0.6 degrees below the normal of 78.5o.  There were no record maximum or minimum temperatures recorded in July 2004.

Albuquerque daily precipitation - July 2004

SEVERE WEATHER ACROSS NEW MEXICO - JULY 2004