While the peak of the Southwest Monsoon is likely several weeks away, a preview has arrived this evening. Patchy showers are moving northeastward across the Front Range urban corridor and a sizable zone of precipitation zeroed in on our farm, bringing a welcome reprieve from our hot, dry weather.
Triggered by high pressure over the Southern Plains and low pressure over the Desert Southwest, the monsoon pumps Gulf of Mexico and Gulf of California moisture across the Four Corners region. Consulting the radar this evening, one finds a clear dome over West Texas and Oklahoma while patches of rain extend across northern Mexico and then northward through Arizona, New Mexico, Utah and Colorado.
Heavy rain is not expected in our region and the cool, wet respite will likely be brief. But in a semiarid ecosystem such as ours, any precipitation (rain or snow) is always welcome.
