Bedtime Downpour

From the looks of the deck in the above photo, it doesn't look like we got any rain last night. But we did. 

Shortly after I went to bed, we received a downpour of rain. It was loud. It lasted about 20 minutes or so (or maybe I just fell asleep before it ended). 

In any case, we can use the precipitation to the drought conditions in the Four Corners region. The monsoon rains we've received this season have been a lot, with Gallup getting flooded twice. 

We are expecting about a 30% chance of rain this afternoon.

Thunderstorm Last Night

Monsoon season is definitely here!

We had a nice electrical storm last night. It took me a while to fall asleep as we had lightning and thunder show for a while after I went to bed. That was fun to watch.

We also had accompanying downpours to go along with it. This is most welcome as the Gallup/Jamestown area is a bit parched from the ongoing drought. I am sure my trees like it!

According to the National Weather Service, the weekend looks like this:

 Overnight

A 20 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 57. South wind around 5 mph.

Friday

A slight chance of showers before 9am, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after noon. Mostly sunny, with a high near 83. Breezy, with a southwest wind 5 to 15 mph increasing to 15 to 25 mph in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 40%.

Friday Night

Partly cloudy, with a low around 58. Southwest wind 15 to 20 mph decreasing to 10 to 15 mph after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 30 mph.

Saturday

Sunny, with a high near 83. Windy, with a southwest wind 10 to 20 mph increasing to 20 to 30 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 45 mph.

Saturday Night

Clear, with a low around 58. Windy, with a southwest wind 25 to 30 mph decreasing to 15 to 20 mph after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 40 mph.

Sunday

Sunny, with a high near 82. Windy.

Open Campgrounds, But No Water

Above, camping at a Ridgway, Colorado RV park. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Checking into a campground and finding that the water system has been shut off has not occurred in my experience. That's not to say that the possibility doesn't exist.

In the Four Corners region, we are facing drought conditions and that has led to some campgrounds to shut off their water. 

RV Travel posted an article on this topic.

They begin it with:

Campground water availability is something most RVers rarely think about until it’s gone. Most travelers assume that if a campground is accepting reservations, basic services such as water will be available when they arrive. Increasingly, that’s not always a safe assumption.

Recent reports from Colorado describe campgrounds that remain open even though water systems have been shut down because of drought conditions. In some cases, visitors are being warned to bring their own water or prepare for limited services.

While the situation is unfolding in Colorado, the lesson applies almost anywhere. Water shortages, well failures, infrastructure problems, wildfire impacts, and maintenance issues can all affect campground services, sometimes with little notice.

For RVers, that means an open campground doesn’t necessarily mean a fully functioning campground.

To read more, go here. 

Stage 1 Fire Restrictions

We're now at Stage One fire restrictions in McKinley County unincorporated areas. I am in one.

It is a good thing that I cut the brush from the back yard. It had gotten overgrown. I was thinking over the years that I would need brush clearing tools as I could not tell if there were big rocks or the ground wasn't level. 

As it turned out, my zero-turn mower did the job just fine. The inspector from the insurance company didn't have any problem with the yard, but they did with the roof. So that was remedied last week. 

I've noticed other neighbors have been cutting down trees and brush over the past few weeks in the subdivision. 

We're considered to be in drought conditions here. It has been a drier than usual winter. 

Independence Day

Independence Day for me was a rather sedate one. 

I could have gone into Gallup for a fireworks show, but elected to stay at home and watch Live Now from Fox News instead. They covered fireworks displays from around the country starting with Washington, D.C. and New York City and moved further west as the time went on.

As we are in a critical drought period, fireworks in McKinley County are prohibited. 

Below is a photo of my television screen showing fireworks on the Mall with the Lincoln Memorial in the background.

 

Power Certainly Helps

Above, the front yard on February 7, 2024. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

It was nice to be able to wake up to having power to the house after two straight days of power outages. Both outages were due to downed power lines. 

After getting up this morning, I fired up the heater to take the morning chill out. It sure beats sitting in a cold house covered in blankets and waiting for the power to come on. 

The temperature is currently 21° outside. 

I may have to invest in either a wood-burning or pellet-burning stove for future winters. I have a propane heating system, but that relies on electricity to fire it up. 

This week brought two days of rain and snow. The snow total was around two inches altogether. Even though it is meager compared to past year's, at least the ground looks saturated. It sure is a fall cry compared to last winter. We're definitely in a drought.

This has been a dry winter, so far. Even Flagstaff, Arizona hasn't seen much snow this season. Until this past week, Flagstaff saw only just 5.9 inches since Oct. 1. Jamestown, New Mexico is at roughly the same elevation as Flagstaff. 

Our next chance for rain/snow is on Tuesday (30% chance). 

Snow Showers This Week?

Above, the front yard seven years ago. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

So far, the Four Corners region is under drought conditions. It has been over a month since the last rain or snow storms.  

We may get a reprieve this coming week as snow showers are forecast for this coming Tuesday and Wednesday by the National Weather Service for Jamestown, New Mexico.

Here's what the coming week looks like:

Today

Sunny, with a high near 50. Windy, with a southwest wind 15 to 25 mph increasing to 25 to 35 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 50 mph.

Tonight

Mostly clear, with a low around 18. West wind 15 to 20 mph decreasing to 5 to 10 mph after midnight.

Sunday

Sunny, with a high near 42. Northwest wind 5 to 15 mph.

Sunday Night

Partly cloudy, with a low around 16. West wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.

Monday

Mostly sunny, with a high near 45. Calm wind becoming west around 5 mph in the afternoon.

Monday Night

Mostly cloudy, with a low around 19.

Tuesday

A 20 percent chance of snow showers after 11am. Partly sunny, with a high near 42.

Tuesday Night

A 40 percent chance of snow showers, mainly after 11pm. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 16.

Wednesday

A 20 percent chance of snow showers before 11am. Mostly sunny, with a high near 32.

Wednesday Night

Partly cloudy, with a low around 14.

Thursday

Mostly sunny, with a high near 34.

Thursday Night

Partly cloudy, with a low around 14.

Friday

Mostly sunny, with a high near 37.

Got A Little Rain

Above, the deck was a little wet this morning. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

It's funny how things work out sometimes.

The weather here in New Mexico has been dry as a bone for several weeks. We're now in monsoon season but it hadn't rained until yesterday evening.

After dinner last night, I went out and watered the trees in my yard. Afterwards, I went back indoors to watch some television.

A little later, I noticed that the deck was wet. Yes, we had a little rain squall come through.

Above, the rain clouds moving through. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

This morning, the deck was again wet (most of it dried), so we got a little more rain overnight and my phone's weather apps indicated more rain today (one said 72% chance).

Well, at least the trees are getting some more water.

Biden Plans Cutting Water Supplies To Western States

Above, Lake Mead directly behind the Hoover Dam in November 2018. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

One has to wonder what happened to all the water from the heavy rains and snows that the west received during this past winter. One has to also wonder why, given this past winter's rains and snows, such tampering is even necessary

California got so much rain that nobody is talking drought there.

Now the Biden Administration is planning to cut water supplies to several western states. 

Fox News reported (some snippets):

The Biden administration proposed actions Tuesday that would significantly reduce water supplies in seven western states amid severe drought conditions that stretch back decades.

The Department of the Interior (DOI) released a draft proposal that highlighted two potential actions it could take to combat the Colorado River Basin's deteriorating water levels. The two proposals would each consist of federally-mandated supply reductions for states that are dependent on the river system which provides water for more than 40 million Americans and is vital for western states' economies.

"Failure is not an option," Tommy Beaudreau, the DOI's deputy secretary, said in a statement. "Recognizing the severity of the worsening drought, the Biden-Harris administration is bringing every tool and every resource to bear through the President’s Investing in America agenda to protect the stability and sustainability of the Colorado River System now and into the future."

In addition to the water it supplies to millions of Americans, the 1,450-mile Colorado River supports 5.5 million acres of agricultural lands, provides electricity to millions of residents through hydroelectric dams and has key recreational and ecological uses.

Overall, the river provides water resources to seven states which are divided into two groups: the Upper Basin and Lower Basin. The Upper Basin consists of Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming while the Lower Basin includes Arizona, California, and Nevada.

While Upper Basin states mainly receive water from smaller rivers that branch off the Colorado River, the Lower Basin states largely receive water pooled in Lake Powell, a man-made reservoir along the Utah-Arizona border, and Lake Mead, a reservoir along the Nevada-Arizona border. The Glen Canyon Dam in northern Arizona and Hoover Dam in southern Nevada are able to control water flows from the respective reservoirs to the Lower Basin states.

Under DOI's first proposed action laid out in a draft supplemental environmental impact statement Tuesday, Lower Basin states would undergo water supply reductions based on seniority of the entities that receive water from the reservoirs. 

The DOI's second proposed action would result in even water supply reductions across the Lower Basin states regardless of seniority. That proposal would lead to less water for farmers in California that supply the U.S. with a large share of the nation's vegetables and fruits.

I have some serious concerns on these proposals. Everything Biden touches turns into into a steaming pile.

To read the full article, go here.

Emergency Fire Meeting and National Forest Closure

Above, the Jamestown fire station. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Saturday's breakfast/coffee gathering at the Flying J will be preempted by a community-wide emergency meeting at the Jamestown fire station at 10:00.

According to the Jamestown community Facebook page, the meeting is to discuss a disaster plan for our community and surrounding neighbors.  This is in response to our drought and potential EXTREME fire danger. We plan to have a representative from the Forest Service, the Sheriffs Department and the Fire Department.  

Starting tomorrow, the Cibola National Forest (which includes Six Mile Canyon in the Mt. Taylor Ranger District) will be subject to a Stage 3 closure due to extreme fire danger. The map below shows the Mt. Taylor Ranger District.

According to KOB 4 News:

SANTA FE, N.M. — The U.S. Forest Service announced a forest-wide closure order will be issued for the Santa Fe National Forest and the Carson National Forest, effective Thursday morning.

The Cibola National Forest will also be implementing a Stage 3 forest closure for the Mt. Taylor, Mountainair and Sandia Ranger Districts.

The orders will be in effect starting at 8 a.m. on May 19. During the closure, public access will be prohibited due to the ongoing active wildfires and extreme fire danger.

All National Forest System lands, recreation sites, roads, trails and trailheads within the restricted boundaries will be closed to the general public. County and state roads that cross through the closed lands will remain open to vehicles and businesses in nearby communities.

Violating the order carries a Class B misdemeanor, which includes as much as a $5,000 fine for individuals/$10,000 for organizations and/or up to six months’ imprisonment.

To read more, go here. 

Lake Mead's Watery Graves

Above, the section of Lake Mead nearest to the Hoover Dam in 2018. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

It looks like some people got the "Luca Brasi treatment" in the Las Vegas area as bodies are starting to be revealed by the dwindling water level of Lake Mead. Luca Brasi, is a fictional mafia character from The Godfather (1972) who ended up "sleeping with the fishes" thanks to a rival mafia family.

One was found in an oil drum, which appears to have been in the lake since the 1970s or 1980s. Another was just found in a newly exposed sandbar.

Back in the early days of Las Vegas, the gambling was controlled by the mob until it started being heavily regulated by the state government and corporations replaced the mob. Las Vegas was actually more fun during the mob days as hotel and food prices were much more reasonable and one could get better odds in machine gaming. The appearance of bodies in Lake Mead harkens back to those days.

The Navajo-Hopi Observer has an interesting article on the recent finds.

They start with:

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Stories about long-departed Las Vegas organized crime figures are surfacing after a second set of unidentified human remains were revealed as the water level falls on drought-stricken Lake Mead.

The reservoir on the Colorado River is about a 30-minute drive from the mob-founded Las Vegas Strip.

"There's no telling what we'll find in Lake Mead," former Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman said Monday. "It's not a bad place to dump a body."

Goodman was a defense attorney who represented Mafia figures including ill-fated Anthony "Tony the Ant" Spilotro before serving three terms as a martini-toting mayor who made public appearances with a showgirl on each arm.

He declined to speculate about who might turn up in the vast reservoir formed by Hoover Dam between Nevada and Arizona.

It looks like some were made offers they couldn't refuse.

To read more, go here. 

Extreme Fire Conditions and Strong Winds In New Mexico

Above, Six Mile Canyon of the Cibola National Forest is a tinderbox. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Much of New Mexico is under extreme fire conditions due to dry conditions and strong winds.

Residents in Jamestown are voicing concern over these conditions as our community is adjacent to the Cibola National Forest.

One posted on Facebook:

Jamestown is crazy if we don’t think that we are not vulnerable to a wildfire. Just one spark…

Please no trash burning. No weed burning. The news this morning even stated that wildfires can be sparked by shooting at a firing range. 

 According to KOAT:

Much of New Mexico will be dealing with strong winds and extreme fire danger, triggering a weather alert day for Friday.

Much of New Mexico could see the strongest winds of the season throughout much of the state.

New Mexico is experiencing a megadrought, one of the worst droughts in 1,200 years. Dry vegetation, above-normal temperatures, and the strong winds forecast will create extreme fire concerns on Friday.

Residents are recommended to stay inside when those winds begin.

 To read more, go here.

Transforming Seawater Into Drinking Water By Sunlight

Above, the Atlantic Ocean off the Florida coast. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

An interesting article just came to my attention.

Scientists down in Australia have harnessed the power of the sun to convert seawater into fresh drinking water.

My Faith News reported:

According to a UN report more than 780 million people worldwide lack basic clean drinking water, and by 2025, half of the world’s population will be living in drought affected areas, along with a staggering population growth of over 10 billion people by 2050, and over 10.9 billion by 2100.

Ironically, about 71% of the Earth’s surface is covered by water, and almost 97% is ocean seawater, according to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Seawater, up until now, wasn’t safe for human drinking consumption. However, thanks to a group of dedicated scientists in Australia they have been able to transform seawater into safe, clean drinking water using the power of the sun along with metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), in less than 30 minutes.

To read the full article, go here.

New Mexico: "Active Week of Weather"

Above, the mesas following a snowstorm in 2018. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

According to KRQE in Albuquerque, New Mexico will be seeing an "active week" of weather that will bring wind, rain and snow to the state.

They wrote:

NEW MEXICO (KRQE) – An active week of weather is on the way for New Mexico as a couple of storm systems will bring strong winds, rain, and snow to parts of the state through Friday. A backdoor cold front last night has brought much colder temperatures to eastern New Mexico Monday. Some of that cooler air has also spilled into the Rio Grande Valley. Warmer weather will return to the eastern half of the state Tuesday as westerly winds will increase. Meanwhile, starting tonight across northwest New Mexico and southwest Colorado, rain and mountain snow will begin to develop tonight through Tuesday afternoon. Another round of light rain and mountain snow will be possible Wednesday as the winds stay strong in eastern New Mexico.

Well, we sure as heck could use the moisture as it has been dry for the past several weeks.

To read more, go here. 

Where's The Snow?

Above, snow on November 9, 2020. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The "little dab" of snow a couple of weeks ago and light rain a week ago today had been all we've received in precipitation since autumn began.

It looked promising since we had a lot of rain during the monsoon season (June-September) this year. But since then, zilch.

By now, we usually have had at least a couple of autumn snowstorms. But higher than normal daytime temperatures have been the norm this season.  

Hopefully, all that is going to change.

According to KRQE:

NEW MEXICO (KRQE) – Unseasonably warm weather continues through the first week of December but a pattern change may finally bring back moisture to the state next week.

Another warmer than average day across New Mexico, despite a cold front keeping temperatures as much as 10° cooler in southeastern parts of the state. Warmer weather returned to the northeastern part of the state. Temperatures remain unchanged in the western half of New Mexico. Dry and unseasonably warm weather will continue through the end of the week, even as another backdoor cold front arrives Friday. The front will drop high temperatures 5-15° across eastern New Mexico Saturday afternoon.

At least the daytime temperatures have been comfortable enough for me to ride my mini-bike to the Flying J to pick up my mail. The Mustang is in the shop (hopefully done tomorrow) and the Jeep's brakes aren't working. 

To read more, go here. 

Light, But Steady

Above, the front yard. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The rain that started last night/early this morning is still falling.

This region has been in a drought for the past several years and even though the rain is light, it has been steadily coming down. This should give the plants outside a much-needed soak. 

Above, the deck and backyard. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

I was going to go to Gallup to pick up a prescription today, but I may just go instead tomorrow or Sunday.

The rain will be a help in controlling the gnats we get around this time as well as the pollen.

New Mexico Producers Hope For Rain

The latest issue of Southwest Farm Press arrived in the mail today and a couple of articles caught my attention.

They concern the 2021 chile crop.

New Mexico chile is a big industry in the state and it is important culturally as well.

There is currently a drought in the state and farmers are hoping for a good spring rain to break it. Along with rain, farmers face labor issues and COVID-19 didn't help matters last year as some chile crops had to rot in the fields due to lack of labor to harvest it.

One article stated that in 1992, New Mexico farmers harvested 34,000 acres of chile peppers annually. By 2014, that dropped to 8,000 to 9,000. But, that has seemed to stabilize now. 

Much of the decline stemmed from competition from Mexico, where increased acreage increased from 8,000 to more than 80,000. Mexico can grow and sell chile cheaper than in New Mexico.

Processing red chile is not time sensitive as green chile. Green chile has to move fast. 

Along with water and labor concerns, regulations are a concern for the New Mexico chile industry. A lot of mom & pop operations have gone out-of-business because of regulations. (And we know which political party is fond of regulations, don't we?) Unfortunately, people who pass and enforce regulations don't understand the the "complexity of agriculture." More officials with backgrounds in agriculture need to be elected. Farmers in Mexico have fewer regulations to hamstring them.

So far, the rain situation is worse than in 2020. Unless it changes, there will be problems for the chile industry.

Yosemite's Spring Season Delayed

Above, Yosemite's Tenaya Creek in 2016. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Well, they wanted water in California, and in this winter they got it.

Agencies in California have declared an end to the 7-year drought. But the above average rain and snowfall does come with a price.

The San Francisco Chronicle reported:

Heavy snowfall this winter is expected to delay the seasonal opening of many Yosemite tourist attractions, including Yosemite Valley campgrounds, Half Dome’s climbing cables and Tioga Road into the high country, park officials announced Wednesday. 

The snowfall, which is about 143 percent of normal, has toppled trees, blocked roads and trails, and damaged visitor sites, including tent cabins, rest rooms, utility systems and parking lots. 

Upper Pines campground, usually open from New Year’s Day through November, is shut because of storm damage. Its 238 campsites are expected to open in mid-April. The only campground currently open in Yosemite Valley is Camp 4, for tent camping only.

To read more, go here. 

Winter Solstice

Above, Barking Spider Road in snow. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Since we've been having cold temperatures and snow on occasion, it is a tad anticlimactic that today is the first day of winter or winter solstice. The first snow we received was in late October.

It seems we never had an autumn with more comfortable temperatures. The trees outside had nice fall colors, until heavy winds blew through and left them all bare. The leaves were gone in an instant. A few weeks ago, I kidded my neighbors that Jamestown has three seasons like L.A.: winter, spring and summer like L.A. Only L.A.'s seasons are autumn, summer and spring.

The locals were pleased about the monsoon rains of summer and the early snows. There's been a drought in New Mexico for at least a couple of years. We can use the water. I enjoyed the lightning shows we had during the monsoon season.

Perhaps spring will arrive before we know it on March 20, 2019.

Fire Restrictions At Grand Canyon National Park and Kaibab National Forest

Above, The Beast at Trailer Village at Grand Canyon National Park. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

In many areas, particularly in the Southwest, it had been a particularly dry winter.

As this is the case, the Forest Service and the National Park Service are implementing fire restrictions in Kaibab National Forest and Grand Canyon National Park. These restrictions start June 8.

According to the Grand Canyon News:

FREDONIA, Ariz. — The U.S. Forest Service and National Park Service will implement additional fire restrictions, also known as Stage II fire restrictions, across the North Kaibab Ranger District, and the South Rim, North Rim and Inner Canyon of Grand Canyon National Park beginning at 8 a.m. this Friday. Visitors should be mindful that these new fire restrictions will limit certain activities and will remain in effect until rescinded, which typically occurs after significant and widespread moisture arrives and fire danger levels subside. 

As a reminder, the Williams and Tusayan Ranger Districts are already in Stage II fire restrictions and will also remain in effect until lifted.

To read more, including what Stage II fire restrictions prohibit, go here.