| So far, we’re tracking a wet winter
in southern Arizona for 2005. As of the end of January, data from
our Tucson office weather
station shows above-average rainfall for the year. This is a good
start, but it’s not time to celebrate yet. The year-end numbers
for 2004 prove that the drought continues for us in Tucson.
In 2004, the total rainfall measured at our Tucson office was 8.70
inches, in contrast to the “normal” rainfall of 12.17
inches. Annual rainfall amounts are compared on the basis of a 30-year
average and, against this expected value, Tucson came up about 3.5
inches or almost 30 percent short. The year 2004 started out with
a sunny outlook — or rather a wet and cloudy one — with
early winter rainfall totals running slightly above average; however,
that was not a harbinger of things to come. The greatest contributing
factor for our annual shortfall was a dismal monsoon season, which
brought a mere 2.99 inches between June and September 2004 instead
of the expected 5.82 inches.
Although we’re off to a wet start in 2005, we need only look
to last year to see that this trend doesn’t guarantee a wet
year. Additionally, we may begin recording rainfall anew each January
but, like a bank account, deficits from the previous year carry
over into the new one. It will take much more than a wet January
to loosen the grip of our current drought.
Click
here to view a chart comparing 2004 rainfall at our Tucson office
weather station with average rainfall (PDF file; 16KB).
For further information, please call (520)881-4912 or visit us
at www.elmontgomery.com
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