Regional Climate Overview - April | May | June

Temperatures over the past three months (April-June) were 3-5°F (1.7-2.8°C) above average for most of New Mexico and North and West Texas, and 0-3°F (0-1.7°C) above average for East and South Texas (Figure 1; left). Precipitation over the same time period was well below average for most of both states, except for the southern tip of Texas which received precipitation 150-300% of average, mostly due to a slow-moving low-pressure system on June 18-21 that dropped record-setting rainfall and resulted in widespread flooding (Figure 1; right). Near Premont, TX, the rain gauge reached its capacity at 11 inches before overflowing (NOAA State of the Climate).

Figure 1 (above): Departure from average temperature in degrees F (left) and percent of average precipitation (right), compared to the 1981–2010 climate average, for 4/1/2018–6/30/2018. Maps from HPRCC.

From January-June, New Mexico experienced record warm average and maximum temperatures, while temperatures in Texas were much above average. New Mexico and Texas experienced the warmest June monthly minimum temperatures on record. In Texas during June, there were several tornadoes and reports of strong wind gusts across the state that caused extensive damage, injuries, and one fatality on June 7 (NOAA State of the Climate).

Temperatures from July 1-17 were 0-3°F (0-1.7°C) above average in most of New Mexico and Texas, and Central Texas experienced temperatures 3-5°F (1.7-2.8°C) above average (figure not shown). Precipitation over the same time period was 150-300 % of average for western New Mexico and the southern half of Texas. Southeast New Mexico and northern Texas received well below average precipitation.

Most of Chihuahua and Durango experienced temperatures 5.4°F (3°C) above average between April and June. Temperatures were close to average in the Northwest and most of the Northeast parts of the country (Figure 2, left). There were 30 to 50 days at or above 104°F (40°C) in northern Baja California, Sonora, Sinaloa, Northeast Chihuahua, and northern Coahuila. There were 1 to 10 days above the same threshold in most of Chihuahua, Durango, Sinaloa, Coahuila, Nuevo León and Tamaulipas (Figure 2, right).

Figure 2 (above): Temperature anomalies in °C (left) and number of days with maximum temperatures at or above 104 °F (40 °C) (right) for April–June. Maps from SMN.

After beneficial rainfall in mid-June in the Northwest part of Mexico, the region did not receive heavy rains again until the beginning of July, which was the onset of the monsoon in northwestern Mexico. The Northeast region received the largest amounts of precipitation over the past three months, between 300-400 mm (12-16 inches) mainly in Tamaulipas (Figure 3, left). From April to June, above-average rainfall occurred in Baja California Sur, most of Sinaloa and southern Sonora, and the Northeast region. Chihuahua and Coahuila have received below 50% of average precipitation, resulting in drought conditions that have persisted or worsened (Figure 3, right).

Figure 3 (above): Accumulated precipitation in mm (left) and percent of normal (right) for April–June. Maps from SMN.

Drought

Drought conditions persisted in New Mexico during the past month, with exceptional drought across the northern part of the state, according to the North American Drought Monitor (NADM) (Figure 4). In Texas, drought conditions eased slightly in the panhandle, but moderate to severe drought expanded throughout the central part of the state. Near Del Rio, Texas, extreme drought expanded and exceptional drought developed. Abnormally dry conditions developed in western Texas and expanded across almost all of Chihuahua. Northern Coahuila and Nuevo León are now experiencing moderate to exceptional drought conditions. Drought conditions are predicted to remain, but improve in western New Mexico, and conditions are predicted to persist in Central and eastern New Mexico and in Texas, according to the U.S. Seasonal Drought Outlook. Drought is also predicted to develop in the parts of Texas where drought conditions are not currently present.

Figure 4 (above): North American Drought Monitor, released July 13, 2018.