Rain Maybe On Sunday

Above, new Gadsden flag. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

It appears that we in Jamestown, New Mexico may get some relief from the pollen and dust kicked up by winds this weekend.

According to the National Weather Service, we have a 20% chance of rain on Sunday. 

For the past several weeks, winds have been kicking up pollen and dust particles into the air and I have had allergy problems. They were the usual: watery eyes, runny nose, congestion, scratchy throat, etc. Some days were pretty bad and I went through boxes of tissue paper and couldn't sit outside on the deck. 

The days ahead according to the National Weather Service:

Today

Sunny, with a high near 64. West wind 5 to 15 mph.

Tonight

Partly cloudy, with a low around 33. West wind 5 to 15 mph.

Friday

Sunny, with a high near 68. Light south wind becoming southwest 10 to 15 mph in the morning.

Friday Night

Mostly clear, with a low around 40. Southwest wind 10 to 15 mph.

Saturday

Sunny, with a high near 64. Southwest wind 10 to 15 mph increasing to 15 to 20 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 35 mph.

Saturday Night

Mostly clear, with a low around 35.

Sunday

A 20 percent chance of showers after noon. Mostly sunny, with a high near 56.

End of Dust Storm?

Although we had wind-blown dust clouds in Jamestown, they weren't as bad as in Gallup yesterday.

It had been reported that gusts were as high as 70 mph at times. Visibility on roads around town were limited to a few feet.

It had been reported yesterday that we would be getting more of the same today. But, so far, it is still out and the National Weather Service says that wind will be around blowing at 15 to 20 mph today. So far, so good.

The McKinley County Sheriff's Office posted this on Facebook:

Their description of the above photo:

EXTREME ROAD CONDITIONS

Highway 491 north of Gallup: use extreme caution, headlamps, and caution lights. High winds and sandstorms are causing low visibility. 

Proceed with caution and don't travel if possible. 

MCSO, State Police and Navajo Police are slowing traffic between the 12-18 mile markers, near Mexican Springs.

Dust Storm

Above, the dust storm in progress. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

A little while ago, I returned from the Flying J to check my mailbox and to pick up a couple of things.

I almost regret going as the area is in a big dust storm from strong gale winds. As you can see from the photo above, taken only minutes ago, the haze before the mesas is the swirling dust. It is also mixed with pollen. I have been enduring bouts of sneezing and a runny nose for most of the day.

Hopefully, this will all end after tonight.

According to the National Weather Service:

This Afternoon

Patchy blowing dust. Mostly sunny, with a high near 67. Windy, with a southwest wind around 40 mph, with gusts as high as 55 mph.

Tonight

Areas of blowing dust before 9pm. Partly cloudy, with a low around 32. Windy, with a west wind 30 to 40 mph decreasing to 15 to 25 mph after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 55 mph. 

Already More Than October's

The snowfall we're getting now isn't much (at least so far), but it already is more than what we got one night in October. It started about an hour ago.

As I mentioned earlier, unless it gets colder (it is now about 34°), this won't last long on the ground. 

This will be a big help in tamping down the dust and pollen that has plagued us for the past several weeks. Friends in Jamestown and I have had allergy issues since it has been so dry this season and the winds we get don't help.

A few minutes ago, I stepped out on the porch and snapped these pictures: