Above-average precipitation for August and September, and near average rainfall for October, has put the region at 114 percent of normal for the year, reports Cortez meteorologist Jim Andrus.
“We had five months of below-normal, but then made it all up in a two-month period,” he said.
For the year-to-date, the Cortez area is a 12.70 inches of total precipitation. Average to date amount is 11.13 inches.
August brought 3.69 inches of rain, and September showed 2.92 inches, compared to the average of 1.37 inches and 1.31 inches, respectively, for those months.
The extra rain helped to fill reservoirs depleted from a dry early summer, and has nearly filled Narraguinnepp Reservoir, a good start for next year’s irrigation season.
In Dolores and Mancos, the towns’ first snowstorm of the season, Tuesday, Oct. 29, left a skiff of snow on the ground, and created white-out driving conditions after sundown. Snow fell above 8,000 feet, with Rico accumulating 2 inches as snow continued to fall early Wednesday morning.
Weather is expected to clear in Cortez, with temperatures reaching into the high 50s for the weekend.
