By Bill Kappel
June was the second month in a row of well below normal rainfall, but unlike May temperatures were well above normal. This combination of warm and dry conditions of course was not good for our plants, which would do better with a more auspicious start to the North American Monsoon system season and more frequent rainfall in July. This is also a reflection of the transition from a strong El Niño pattern to a La Niña pattern this spring. La Niña has begun to set up in the Pacific, shifting the storm track farther north and allowing the region to be dominated by high pressure and not allowing high levels of low-level moisture to build in the region.
Not surprisingly, the month started off dry and mild with highs reaching the mid-70s to mid-80s every day from the 1st through the 8th. The lack of thunderstorm development was unusual with only two afternoons/early evenings seeing thunderstorms. And only one of these, on the 7th, produced measurable rainfall.
Over the next 10 days, even warmer air moved in, producing our first heatwave of the year. Highs increased from the mid-70s on the 9th, 10th, and 11th to the mid-80s on the 12th and peaking in the low 90s on the 13th. Note that 90-degree temperatures on top of the Palmer Divide only happen about five-10 times per year. Most afternoons did see a buildup of afternoon clouds and a few brief showers and thunderstorms, but nothing that amounted to more than a trace in most cases. So we didn’t get any relief from the heat. Of course, we also didn’t get any severe weather either.
An uptick in moisture and therefore more active conditions finally affected the region from the 18th through the 22nd. This started with a push of cooler air during the morning of the 18th, dropping highs from the upper 80s the day before to the upper 60s and low 70s that afternoon. This also produced some low clouds, fog, and rain showers, a nice relief from the heat. The cool, upslope conditions continued on the 19th, with low clouds and fog sticking around all day. This kept us cool, with highs only hitting the upper 50s and more rain showers at times. The remnant moisture also allowed scattered thunderstorms to form each afternoon over the next couple of days, more typical of a mid-June weather pattern. Even with all the cool and moist weather, most of us only managed to accumulate a quarter to half-inch of rainfall, certainly not enough to alleviate our dry conditions.
The month ended with more warm conditions, with highs hitting the upper 80s to low 90s from the 23rd through the 28th. We did manage to squeeze out a few afternoon thunderstorms and brief rain showers each afternoon and evening, with the heaviest rainfall occurring on the last day of the month when three waves of storms moved through from the late afternoon through early morning hours. This doubled our rainfall for the month with a half inch to an inch accumulation.
A look ahead
July can be an active weather month around the region as the Southwest Monsoon season gets going. Afternoon and evening thunderstorms are a common occurrence, and when they are able to tap into higher levels of moisture, flash flooding can result. Hot, stagnant weather can also take hold for a few days at time, with highs hitting the 90s on the warmest days.
June 2024 Weather Statistics
Average High 81.9° (+4.5°) 100-year return frequency value max 82.5° min 66.3°
Average Low 50.1° (+5.8°) 100-year return frequency value max 50.7° min 40.2°
Highest Temperature 91°F on the 13th, 25th
Lowest Temperature 43°F on the 1st, 19th
Monthly Precipitation 0.72” (-1.13” 82% below normal) 100-year return frequency value max 6.94” min 0.15”
Monthly Snowfall 0.0” (-0.1” 100% below normal)
Season to Date Snow 137.1” (+14.6” 10% above normal) (the snow season is from July 1 to June 30)
Season to Date Precip 8.50” (-2.72” 20% below normal) (the precip season is from Jan 1 to Dec 31)
Heating Degree Days 45 (-50)
Cooling Degree Days 73 (+45)
Bill Kappel is a meteorologist and Tri-Lakes resident. He can be reached at billkappel@ocn.me.
Other Weather articles
- November Weather Wrap (12/5/2024)
- October Weather Wrap (11/2/2024)
- September Weather Wrap (10/5/2024)
- August Weather Wrap (9/7/2024)
- July Weather Wrap (8/3/2024)
- May Weather Wrap (6/1/2024)
- April Weather Wrap (5/4/2024)
- March Weather Wrap (4/6/2024)
- February Weather Wrap (3/2/2024)
- January Weather Wrap (2/3/2024)