I’d been meaning to look at this a while ago, because all climate change is ultimately local, but just got around to it today. The last time we had a freeze in Albuquerque was March 23, and it’s reasonable to think that’ll stand as the last freeze of spring. We won’t know for sure for a while – we’ve had freezes as late as May 27, but in recent years the average has been April 1. That’s two weeks earlier than the long term average. A number of things have changed that might explain the warmer overnight temperatures, including the increasing urbanization of Albuquerque and increasing concentrations of atmospheric greenhouse gases.

And while we’re on the subject of the climatological spring of 2006 in Albuquerque, we’ve had 0.28 inches of rain since Nov. 1. The record driest Nov. – April (this is based on data back to 1914):

1. 0.38 – 1939
2. 0.58 – 1996
3. 0.72 – 1947
4. 0.80 – 1967
5. 0.85 – 1925

I know of no particular explanation, except that we’ve got a weak La Nina and shit happens, but there’s two weeks left, and I’m a-dancin’.