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Much of the Southwest is under the classification of "Exceptional Drought" which is very worrisome as fire season approaches.  We had some snow in Albuquerque but not enough to make a significant difference.  I don't even remember the last time it rained as our annual monsoon season last summer was non-existant. 

 

Here is a photo of the same scenes taken a year apart by a meteorologist in Arizona.  It is somewhere near Phoenix.  If you dance, help us out and do the one for rain.

 

Screenshot_20210402-144446_Chrome.jpg

New Mexico☀️Land Of Enchantment
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In addition to the drought the winds are unrelenting. Any moisture that does fall is quickly evaporated by the dry winds. That extreme drought area is getting larger and larger.

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Re: Southwestern Drought

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We're hoping to buy a vacation home in Henderson, NV.  Two things worry me about the Southwest: at some point turning on a faucet and nothing coming out and the cost of water which has gone up significantly in the past few years.

 

 

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Re: Southwestern Drought

[ Edited ]

I remember flying into Las Vegas in the mid 70's for the first time. The lake was full.  The last time I was there I was stunned how far it had dropped.

 

Water catchment seems to be a good solution but requires some expertise to provide a home's only source of water. I know the filtering system is quite sophisticated. A home was featured on tv that only required one inch of rainfall per year to have ample water. There were multiple tanks buried on the property.

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We had almost double the normal amount of rain in Spring 2020 compared to our "normal" where I live in the west. It's rained a few times here this spring, but we're still somewhat behind. Hopefully, we'll all get the precipitation we need - and without flooding.

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@Kachina624 , what an astonishing difference.  The thought of fires in this climate is very scary.  My brother in Kamloops, British Columbia gets a small taste of this.  It is very desert like there...I was surprised how dry it is.

 

A sharp contrast to our four days of rain this Easter weekend.  I wish I could send you some.  Weather extremes seem to be the norm now,  S

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Registered: ‎10-23-2011

@Kachina624   That's basically the picture I have from my living room/dining area windows.  The difference is significant and very noticeable.  No monsoon this year was also a first in my 30 years in Phx.

 

 

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@kaydee50  The water bills in Phoenix are on the rise to the point where I started my own "rainy day fund" (literal and figurative) to make sure I have the financial resources to meet any increases that may arise.  "Better safe than sorry!!"

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This map says a lot:

 

20210330_usdm.jpg

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@On It wrote:

I remember flying into Las Vegas in the mid 70's for the first time. The lake was full.  The last time I was there I was stunned how far it had dropped.

 

Water catchment seems to be a good solution but requires some expertise to provide a home's only source of water. I know the filtering system is quite sophisticated. A home was featured on tv that only required one inch of rainfall per year to have ample water. There were multiple tanks buried on the property.


@On It    I'd be very thirsty if I depended on water catchment for my supply.  Actually my community pumps water from an aquafer but it's very expensive.  Albuquerque gets water from the Rio Grande after buying it and storing it in Colorado.  When the Rio gets low, they have some of what they own released and it flows down to the city where they retrieve it. 

New Mexico☀️Land Of Enchantment