Since Dec. 1, we’ve had 0.16 inch of measurable precipitation, the driest on record (records go back to 1892).
It’s a cherry pick. We did have a wet November, but that joy is long gone. It just feels crinkly out there.
jfleck at inkstain
A few thoughts from John Fleck, a writer of journalism and other things, living in New Mexico
Meanwhile: “Stanford University researchers have found increased meltwater and rain explain 60% of a decades-long mismatch between predicted and observed temperatures in the ocean around Antarctica.
…Oceans globally have absorbed more than a quarter of the carbon dioxide emitted by human activities and more than 90% of the excess heat trapped in our climate system by greenhouse gases. “The Southern Ocean is one of the primary places that happens,” said lead study author Zachary Kaufman, a postdoctoral scholar in Earth system science.
As a result, the Southern Ocean has an outsized influence on global sea level rise, ocean heat uptake, and carbon sequestration. Its surface temperatures affect El Niño and La Niña weather patterns, which influence rainfall as far away as California.” https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1078509
Tucson had FAILED winter rain. It’s our most important rainy season. People think of the Monsoon, but much of the Monsoon evaporates or transpires immediately. Our storms of record (’83) are late September or early October tropical storms that come up and across. Only hydrologists and meteorologists think of those. So, Albuquerque is not alone.
By the way, have you looked at Webb, Leake, and Turner? You better because you may be duplicating what they did, and that would ultimately be pretty embarrassing.
Michael – Little similarity between our book and Webb et al other than the title. Ours is a political, social, economic, and cultural history of a city and its relationship with its river. Our use of the phrase (“ribbons” plural) is a literary reference, a quote drawn from John van Dyke’s odd little 1901 literary classic “The Desert,” in which he describes his first visit to our part of the Rio Grande Valley by train. We use van Dyke’s description to set our scene, opening up our historical narrative.
Arg.