NEWS
Summer's on its way 鈥� sa国际传媒官网网页入口 returns to 90-degree heat
What to expect next week and into the summer monsoon season
Published
Modified
After a brief cooldown, the sa国际传媒官网网页入口 area is returning to 90-degree temperatures beginning Tuesday, according to a National Weather Service forecast.
After a record-breaking March and unseasonably warm winter, the coming week is a taste of near normality, KOAT-TV Chief Meteorologist Byron Morton said.
sa国际传媒官网网页入口 typically gets its first 90-degree day in mid- to late May, Morton said. This year the heat wave came early, in March, on the tail end of a dry, warm winter.
鈥淲e鈥檝e had this unusual warmth for so long that we are literally just getting used to an environment or a climate that鈥檚 not normal for sa国际传媒官网网页入口,鈥� Morton said. 鈥淥ur winter was more like something that Las Cruces would have in comparison.鈥�
sa国际传媒官网网页入口 residents can expect temperatures to peak at 91 degrees on Tuesday after a progressive uptick over the weekend. Las Cruces will see slightly higher heat at 93 degrees, while Roswell will reach 100 degrees, according to forecasts.
Tuesday temperatures are expected to approach but not break previous records for this time of year, Morton said.
On Wednesday, temperatures are expected to fall a couple of degrees across the state. In sa国际传媒官网网页入口, it will hover around the high 80s.
This warmer weather is caused by a high atmospheric pressure sitting off the coast of California, NWS meteorologist Carter Greulich said. This pressure will raise temperatures across the entire Southwest.
Greulich reminded people to hydrate adequately, take breaks while working in the sun and apply sunscreen liberally.
New Mexico may be in for a wetter monsoon season this summer due to El Ni帽o, which occurs when the Pacific Ocean warms, typically causing warmer temperatures across the globe. However, for New Mexico, it may mean a heavier monsoon season that will help to alleviate current dry conditions.
Despite this, the monsoons won鈥檛 make up for a lackluster winter and minimal snowpack caused by global warming.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a Band-Aid,鈥� Morton said. 鈥淚f we get a robust monsoon, it鈥檚 a bandaid for the drought and everything else.鈥�
Gillian Barkhurst is a general assignment reporter for the Journal. She can be reached at gbarkhurst@abqjournal.com.
