Rain is forecast to relieve scorching temperatures
After starting the week in 90s, Santa Fe likely to see highs in 80s as monsoon becomes more active
Doesn’t 88 degrees sound kind of cool right now?
At the very least, it’s an improvement over the near 100-degree weather that has recently tormented the Santa Fe region.
Lower temperatures and even rain may work to make life a little more bearable by the end of the week, according to the National Weather Service in Albuquerque.
First, the bad news: Santa Fe, which saw a smattering of rain Monday amid temps in the high 80s, is in for some steamy weather over the next two days, with temperatures in the 90s Tuesday and Wednesday.
Now the good news: Temperatures could dip to something a bit more pleasant later in the week. And rain might cool things off even more.
“There’s a 30 to 40 percent chance of rain showers for Santa Fe later this week, and if you do get storms, they will be wetter in nature,” said Daniel Porter, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service.
But over the rest of July and into August, the outlook calls for “above-average temperatures” all across the state, Porter said.
At the same time, as the monsoon becomes more active, Porter said the Santa Fe area should expect “near normal” precipitation totals for the rest of July and August.
He cautioned “near normal could mean one storm gives you plenty of rain and the rest of the month you get almost no precipitation at all, but when you average it out, it’s normal.”
Last year, Santa Fe got about 2.2 inches of rain in July. That’s higher than the average for the month, which is closer to three quarters of an inch, Porter said.
One of the reasons the state has seen so little rain this month is because a high pressure system has parked itself over New Mexico, creating drier conditions.
Other hot Julys in the Santa Fe area: In 2003, Santa Fe experienced 11 consecutive days with temperatures 95 or higher. In 2007 it was seven days. And in 1980, it was five days.
This July has “been a toasty one,” Porter said.