*Full monsoon season outlook and what to expect in “Monsoon Weather Special” video above
NEW MEXICO (KRQE) – KRQE’s 2023 Summer Weather Special will take a look at the upcoming monsoon season and how El Nino could affect the state this summer.
When and what is the monsoon season?
The state’s monsoon season runs from June 15 to September 30. During those months, states in the southwest see increased rain.
What happened last year?
Last year, the monsoon began with the flip of a switch in June. It also helped extinguish the fires burning across the state. The healthy start to the monsoon was followed by a wet July and August with many areas seeing above-average rainfall. The rain also meant flash flooding in wildfire burn scar areas.
The National Weather Service in Albuquerque issued a record 249 flash flood warnings during the monsoon, nearly doubling the previous high. When the monsoon tapered off in late September parts of the state had received over two feet of rainfall with Albuquerque seeing the 10th wettest monsoon on record.
Before that, the wettest monsoon on record in the Albuquerque area was in 2006, according to data from the National Centers for Environmental Information. That summer, Albuquerque saw 9.42 inches of rain during the monsoon months — that’s more than double the average.
For more information, and for the 2023 monsoon season outlook, watch the full KRQE News 13 “Monsoon Weather Special” above.
