Our weather crisis

Everyone thinks of Arizona and New Mexico as hot and dry. Well, normally that's not quite true. Southeast AZ and southwest NM weather is usually not technically 'desert' weather. Normal rain in much of the area is 10 to 12 inches, with higher precipitation totals at elevations above 6000'. Last year was especially nice, with reports of 40+ inches at homes around 7000' in the canyons.

But not so this year. It is the dryest I have experienced in 20 years of living here. The winter rains, usually 30% of the annual total, were a bust. We got less than half an inch of the 'normal' 3+ inches between 1 December and 31 March.

To add to the enjoyment, the spring winds, usually a March-April phenomenon, have persisited. Most of the Memorial Day weekend, winds were gusting at 20 knots or more, with a steady 5+ knots. Add the single-digit humidity and temps nearing 100 degrees, and people and plant-life start to get cranky. I'll post next about what it does to the poor deer.

DRY may not be as exciting as floods and tornadoes, but it sure feels like things aren't right. Hope we get our summer rains next month or the whole place is going to blow away with these hot winds!