I am writing today to announce the closure of the New Mexico Independent. After three and a half years of operation in New Mexico, the board of the American Independent News Network, has decided to shift publication of its news…
While environmental activists played their part yesterday during demonstrations at the capitol building, going so far as to dress up as solar panels and to sing the tune of “You Are My Sunshine,” their counterparts, the anti-cap-and-trade contingency who has…
Roughly one quarter of University of New Mexico students are unimpressed with the state’s flagship public school, according to a survey that questioned college students about their higher education experiences.
So far 2009 has been extraordinarily warm and dry — even for our mostly desert state.
John Fleck reported in the Albuquerque Journal that through two months, this is the driest year Albuquerque has ever had. While a trace of rain fell twice in January and once in February, there was no official measurable rain. “That is the first time Albuquerque has racked up zeroes for January and February since record-keeping began in 1892, according to Ed Polasko, who tracks winter precipitation for the Weather Service’s Albuquerque office,” Fleck wrote.
And it has been warm as well.
According to preliminary monthly data from the National Weather Service (choose option ‘CF6′ on the web page), February was 3.2 degrees Fahrenheit warmer than an average February in Albuquerque. Though seeing people walking around in T-shirts and shorts may have tipped you off.
Of course the high of 71 Monday was nothing compared to the record-tying high of 91 in Tuscon.
As for this year’s dryness, it “coincides with the late onset of La Niña, the Pacific Ocean pattern that tends to push the storm track to our north,” Fleck reported.
January of this year was even warmer than previous Januaries. According to the NWS, it was 4.1 degrees warmer than normal.
Oh, and in case you were wondering, Weather Underground forecasts a high of 76 today in Albuquerque. In the nation’s capital, the forecast is just 29. Brr.
