Appropriate for May Day, the international distress call. I’m surprised ‘95-‘96 was even drier — I must be suppressing the memory. And small wonder my allergies are worse this year. peace, mjh
» Water year start 3rd driest for city | ABQ Journal by John Fleck
With less than an inch of rain since Oct. 1, this is the third driest start to a water year in Albuquerque since record-keeping began in 1900, according to a National Weather Service analysis.
Only 1903-04 and 1995-96 were drier, according to Deirdre Kann, science officer for the service’s Albuquerque office. Meteorologists and water managers usually start their “water year†calendar Oct. 1, a time period that captures the entire cool season’s rain and snow in a single year’s measure rather than arbitrarily splitting it in two on Jan. 1.
The Weather Service’s official gauge at Albuquerque’s airport has recorded 0.83 inch of precipitation for the water year.
The entire state of New Mexico faces serious drought conditions, but Albuquerque “is in worse shape than most locations,†according to Kann
» Water year start 3rd driest for city | ABQ Journal
» With drought comes dust | ABQ Journal by John Fleck
Due to the current drought and very dry soil conditions, there is more potential for blowing dust than usual for the entire state even in lower wind conditions.
The Environment Department realizes that although dust storms are common in New Mexico and are inherent to arid climates, inhaling dust can cause a number of serious health problems and can make some health problems worse. It can irritate the lungs and trigger allergic reactions, as well as asthma attacks. For people who already suffer from these conditions, dust can cause serious breathing problems. Dust can also cause coughing, wheezing and runny noses. Breathing large amounts of dust for prolonged periods can result in chronic breathing and lung problems.