Monsoon Season in New Mexico

Monsoon season in the southwest means afternoon thunderstorms and thunderstorms can result in rapidly changing meteorological conditions.  The outflow from even small thunderstorms can produce a gust front which can interfere with a pilots control.  He is the link to a short time lapse video of a single thunderstorm which produced a gust front in the San Simon Valley the other day.  

Low Level Clouds

The image below is a multi-image panorama spanning 13 miles of the Chiricahua Mountains at sunset. Taken from the ground since the monsoons are here and the runway is wet. Note the low level cloud band running the length of the mountain range a few hundred feet off the ground. Calm still air would make for great flying.


Click image to see a larger view.

Video of Lightening Storm

Here is a short video from last nights monsoon storm. It was a spectacular lightening display but difficult to catch on video. The sensitivity of the camera chip is lower than the human eye. As a result what I saw as constant flashes of lightening did not always register on the camera. But here are a few of the brighter flashes.

It's Offical, the Monsoons are Here

There have now been more than 3 consecutive days with a dew point above 53 degrees and that means the monsoons are here. It also means the dirt roads turn to mud. Fortunately the Galion road grader is up and running (see video) and a couple of passes to clean out the washboards and generally improve the road surface were completed. This should lessen any monsoon related problems and allow easy access to the Painted Pony Resort. Those who haven't done any road work will surely feel the effects of the monsoon.


Large cloud buildup over the Chiricahua Mountains with visible rain.

The Monsoons are Over

The monsoons season was late this year. It traditionally begins on July 4th but this year was late. There were periods of rain and the playas of the bootheel filled. Below is a low level aerial photograph of the playa in Playas Valley filled with monsoon runoff.


Click to enlarge