Last night’s spectacular thunderstorm over Albuquerque is a great example of the spatial variability of the summer thunderstorm season. Lissa and I were out for a wander around sunset and saw it coming from the north, great flashes of lightning against the sunset sky. We had to stop at the market to get some breakfast fixings. The wind, an outflow from the storm to the north, was howling as we got out of the market, and we just made it home as the raindrops started falling.
At my house? 0.22 inch. Out at the airport? Just 0.02. I’m not sure exactly where the rain gauge is, but it’s something like four miles from my house. So far this month, they’ve had 0.35 inch at the airport, which is the “official” Albuquerque rain number. I’ve had 1.15.
To get a good idea of the spatial variability, check out COCORAHS.
We have the same thing happen in Grant County, where the ‘official’ weather station is at the Grant County airport — more than 20 minutes away from Silver City. Also, the rain in and around town is sporadic. When we had several rounds of flooding last year, my editor and I joked that it would depend on which side of a particular ridge the rain fell. If it fell to the 100 feet to the west, Silver City would get hammered by the floodwaters. If it fell 100 feet to the east, Santa Clara would be the community flooded.
COCORAHS for Grant County.