Published 6/14/21
This is my first post in 9 days, which has to be close to a record for me. The truth is, there are only so many ways to say “It’s going to be hot, dry, hazy and smoky with occasional gusty winds.” That has been the story most of the month.
The good news is the weather models have finally given me something to talk about. Will we or won’t we get sub-tropical moisture working into our area starting mid-week? More on that later.
The other questions I am getting are regarding the heat. 60% of the years from 1895 to 2018 we have had 90 degree+ heat in June.
The WRCC Western Regional Climate Center has records for Durango back to 1895. It shows that Durango hit 102 in July 1989. That temperature was recorded at the Durango Regulatory Reservoir (near Hillcrest). That is the highest recorded temperature I can find. That being said, we have hit 98 and 99 several times at that spot. That area is roughly 400 to 500 feet higher than downtown Durango so it would stand to reason that the temperature was slightly higher down there. So we could have hit higher than 102 downtown, and 100 or so on those numerous occasions it hit 98 and 99.
Regardless, it is hot. I don’t like the heat, not at all. It makes me grumpy the way some people feel when it snows in May after a long winter. I am aware of how strange that seems to most people.
A lack of precipitation also makes me grumpy. If the GFS and Canadian models are correct, our chances of afternoon thunderstorms increase starting Wednesday afternoon and perhaps continuing through the weekend. The Euro model is just now starting to suggest that there is a slight chance of this happening. The GFS model has been on this trend for just under a week.
As is often the case, it would be quite a task for any wetting rains to develop below 10,000 feet. The worse news is this is going to be a setup where we could get dry thunderstorms, with lightning and gusty winds, especially in areas above 8,000 feet. So far we have been lucky, let’s hope that luck continues.
I will be tracking the moisture and posting every day this week. Thanks for following and supporting the site!
Welcome Back…missed your reports. i have lived here 34 years now, and June is always the HOTTEST month of the summer. Hot, dry, and often dry lightening storms. I live in the forest above Gem Village, so this month is always a “cheek pucker” for me. I breathe a sign when it’s over.