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Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Snowmelt lowers fire risk in northeastern New Mexico, but overall state is still parched
Despite the laments of a famous frog, it is easy being green. As late-season snow melted, northeastern New Mexico greened up this month, said service senior hydrologist Andrew Mangham for the National Weather Service's Albuquerque office. That's good news for fire risk. 'While you can't control the winds and the low humidities, that green ... makes those fuels less receptive to spreading fire,' Mangham said. 'So fire weather concerns are, in fact, muted up in the areas where we caught that snow because of the beneficial effects it's having on all the fuels.' Snowmelt has an important role in the state's water cycle. After recent snowfall in the northeastern corner of the state, the area is seeing relief from short-term drought conditions. But despite the recent precipitation windfall, long-term drought conditions probably aren't going away any time soon. Drought map Much of New Mexico still remains in some form of drought. The majority of the snow has already melted, although there's still some remaining near Santa Fe and Taos, Mangham said. That's left rivers around the Sangre de Cristo Mountains with higher-than-normal flows. Although some areas are seeing too much, too fast — Mangham said there have been reports of flooding in the Rociada area, when warm rain quickly melted snow — typically snowmelt provides a gentler form of hydration than the dramatic summer monsoons. 'But one of the reasons snowmelt is such an important component of our water supply is that it's a fundamentally different mode of delivery for water than the monsoon season,' Mangham said. 'It kind of slowly bleeds out, and that really gives it a chance to infiltrate and cause green up in the rivers and trees and forests.' The recent precipitation and snowmelt is a boon for short-term drought conditions in northeastern New Mexico, Mangham said. In the short term, drought can affect growing seasons, soil quality and rangelands. But it's not all good news. Long-term drought conditions, which impact the overall water supply, will likely endure, Mangham said. And while some parts of the state were saturated, others missed out. The southwestern corner of the state still experiencing high fire risk; while drought conditions improved slightly over last week, about 98% of the state is still experiencing some level of drought, according to National Weather Service data. 'A good spring that wets the ground and get some of the trees looking healthier doesn't make up for the fact that many of our forests are suffering from long-term drought stress,' Mangham said. 'That's why our piñon trees, for example, are starting to die off in certain parts of the state because they're just suffering from long-term drought stress.' Earlier this year, the state Forestry Division released a report showing tree deaths in the state's forest had more than doubled between 2023 and 2024. A coordinator for the service at the time said drought had been a long-time stressor on forests in the Southwest. The recent burst of precipitation didn't make up for the 'tremendously dry' winter, Mangham said. While the monsoon is an important part of the state's water cycle, the cyclical storms occur during hotter weather. When the rainwater spreads out, a significant amount is lost to evaporation. 'That snowpack, that winter water supply — the importance of that cannot be overestimated,' Mangham said.
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
After recent storms, NM not out of the woods when it comes to fire, drought concerns
May 9—SANTA FE — The recent rain and snow that fell across parts of New Mexico have eased wildfire concerns — for now — in the state's northern mountains and eastern grasslands, but not fully doused drought conditions. After an extremely mild, dry winter, most of southern and southwestern New Mexico remains in extreme drought conditions, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. "There's still definitely concern," said Andrew Mangham, a senior service hydrologist for the National Weather Service in Albuquerque. "Once we're dried out, we could be back in trouble again." David DuBois, New Mexico's state climatologist, said the Gila National Forest and Black Range did not receive much of the recent precipitation that traveled northwest from the Gulf of Mexico. "I think there's still risk if you go farther south," DuBois said, referring to a wildfire season that's started increasingly earlier in the year in recent years. Indeed, the Iron Fire in the Gila Wilderness burned more than 600 acres this week and prompted local evacuations before hotshot crews were able to slow its growth. However, parts of eastern New Mexico are no longer technically in drought conditions after receiving more than 2.5 inches of rain over the last week. Nearly 3 feet of snow fell in some parts of the high mountains of northern New Mexico, prompting the National Weather Service to issue a snowmelt flooding advisory through the weekend. But the May moisture could be a double-edged sword, Mangham said, as it could lead to an increased fuel load if it's followed by dry and warm conditions. He also said there's still concern about water levels statewide after the state's driest winter in 100-plus years. "One storm is not going to make up for such a dry winter," Mangham told the Journal. In fact, the state's overall drought outlook is still significantly more dire than it was at the start of the year. Specifically, just 1.3% of New Mexico was not designated as being abnormally dry or in drought conditions as of this week, compared to 43.7% of the state as of the start of January, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. In addition, about 92% of state residents live in parts of the state currently in drought conditions. Just days before the early May storms, Santa Fe National Forest had implemented Stage 1 fire restrictions that banned campfires outside designated fire rings through September. Claudia Brookshire, a U.S. Forest Service public affairs officer for the national forest, said those restrictions are still in place despite the recent precipitation. She said they could be reevaluated if there is more rain and snow in May, but cautioned that June is typically New Mexico's hottest and driest month. "When we initially made the decision to implement Stage 1 Fire Restrictions, we were experiencing a historical drought," Brookshire told the Journal. "Although recent rainfall has exceeded initial predictions, we are closely monitoring the weather." In the Santa Fe National Forest and in other parts of the state, local officials warned that warmer, drier weather could bring renewed fire danger even after the recent moisture. "If we get some really warm days, that could change pretty rapidly," cautioned DuBois, who is also a professor at New Mexico State University. Dangerous fire weather could return to southwest New Mexico early next week, as strong winds and low humidity combine to create moderate to high fire danger, according to the National Weather Service. "It really depends on where you are in the state," said Mangham.
Yahoo
13-03-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Expert warns of future risk after concerning observation in the mountains: 'It cannot be stressed strongly enough'
A depleted New Mexico snowpack is causing concern because the region relies on it for an essential source of water when it eventually melts. A hydrologist with the National Weather Service office in Albuquerque, New Mexico, voiced his concern about a diminished snowpack he observed during the middle of winter. It's a time of the year when accumulating snow can hopefully fuel a growing snowpack in New Mexico. Some light snow during the middle of January didn't offer much hope for a snowpack recovery. "It cannot be stressed strongly enough that this little dusting of snow is not going to save us, in terms of water supply," said National Weather Service hydrologist Andrew Mangham, per Source NM. Mangham warned that if the current weather pattern doesn't change, "we could be looking at a particularly dangerous fire weather season." The latest U.S. Drought Monitor report notes that drought conditions have expanded across New Mexico. Over 60% of the state is experiencing at least a moderate drought, an increase of more than 3% compared to last week's report. Almost a third of the state is now in an extreme to exceptional drought, levels four and five out of five, respectively. "February 1 snowpack conditions are far from optimistic for New Mexico's forecast basins, with persistent dry conditions pervading the state as we move deeper into the winter season," according to the latest Natural Resources Conservation Service's New Mexico Basin Water Supply Outlook report. "Extremely low to absent snow conditions dominated the state's major river catchments as of the end of January, with accumulated Snow Water Equivalent dropping to or below the record lows in many locations." The implications of an ongoing drought and depleted snowpack in New Mexico are serious. An analysis by Climate Central concluded that mountain snowpack in the western U.S. declined by an average of 15-30% between 1955 and 2020. "Melting snowpack provides an essential water supply to rivers and reservoirs in the Western U.S. in their drier summer months," the analysis stated. In addition to threatening water supplies for millions of people, dry conditions mean more fuel for wildfires. An overheating planet is driving extremes on both ends of the hydrological spectrum. The warming world is effectively supercharging thunderstorms, like the ones that produced extreme flooding in Roswell, New Mexico, last October that killed at least two people. Where it is dry, rising temperatures are contributing to deeper droughts. "We're seeing an acceleration," Mangham added. "Where it's getting hotter, faster, and you're seeing greater extremes." How often do you worry about the quality of your drinking water? Never Sometimes Often Always Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. New technology is offering hope. Researchers are developing new methods of desalination that have the potential to save millions of people. Last year, Spain used a 1,000-year-old technology to combat a historic drought. A startup is trying to revolutionize household water access with "water generators" that extract moisture from the air for drinking. It is essential to reduce the heat-trapping gases contributing to Earth's overheating. Supporting ethical brands whose mission includes fighting for a better future can help. Talking to family and friends about critical climate issues and advocating for change at work can also help. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
