National Weather Service Forecast Office – Albuquerque, NM
BETWEEN JANUARY 1 2005 AND 500 AM TODAY…FEBRUARY 19 2005…A TOTAL OF 2.84 INCHES OF PRECIPITATION HAS BEEN RECORDED AT THE ALBUQUERQUE INTERNATIONAL SUNPORT. IT IS THE WETTEST START TO ANY YEAR SINCE 1931. THE LAST TIME IT WAS THIS WET…THIS EARLY WAS BACK IN 1978 WHEN 2.09 INCHES WAS RECORDED BETWEEN JANUARY 1 AND FEBRUARY 19 OF THAT YEAR.
NOT ONLY IS 2005 OFF TO THE WETTEST START IN MODERN TIMES…BUT THE 2.84 INCHES OF PRECIPITATION RECORDED SINCE JANUARY 1ST HAS ALREADY BROKE THE PREVIOUS JANUARY/FEBRUARY PRECIPITATION RECORD OF 2.76 INCHES LAST SET IN 1993. THE ALL TIME WETTEST JANUARY/FEBRUARY PERIOD WAS IN 1863 WHEN 3.14 INCHES WAS OFFICIALLY RECORDED.
WITH OVER A WEEK LEFT TO GO IN THE MONTH….IT IS POSSIBLE THAT JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2005 WILL GO DOWN IN THE RECORD BOOKS AS THE WETTEST SINCE OFFICIAL RECORD KEEPING BEGAN. INTERESTINGLY…THE PAST TWO FEBRUARYS ARE ALSO AMONG THE TOP FIVE WETTEST IN MODERN TIMES.
FIVE WETTEST JANUARY MONTHS
RECORDS SINCE 1931
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1. 2005 WITH 1.38 INCHES
2. 1978 WITH 1.32 INCHES
3. 1941 WITH 1.17 INCHES
4. 1983 WITH 1.10 INCHES
5. 1979 WITH 1.07 INCHES
FIVE WETTEST FEBRUARY MONTHS
RECORDS SINCE 1931
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1. 1993 WITH 1.82 INCHES
2. 2005 WITH 1.46 INCHES *PRECIPITATION TOTAL FOR THE MONTH SO FAR.
3. 2004 WITH 1.17 INCHES
4. 1964 WITH 1.12 INCHES
5. 1978 WITH 1.02 INCHES
2003 WITH 1.02 INCHES
** ALL TIME WETTEST FEBRUARY WAS BACK IN 1863 WITH 2.52 INCHES.
FIVE WETTEST STARTS TO THE YEAR SINCE 1931
USING THE FIRST 50 DAYS
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1. 2005 WITH 2.84 INCHES * PRECIPITATION TOTAL THROUGH 500 AM FEB 19
2. 1978 WITH 2.09 INCHES
3. 1983 WITH 1.74 INCHES
4. 1980 WITH 1.39 INCHES
5. 1979 WITH 1.38 INCHES
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Update 2/21/04:
ABQjournal: 2005 Is Off to Wet Start for State; Today May See More Rain, Snow
With rain continuing to linger in the state, Albuquerque is in the midst of its second wettest January-February run since 1863.
With a half-inch of rain recorded Friday in the Duke City, and 0.15 of an inch by 6 p.m. Saturday, the two-month total reached 2.88 inches, according to the National Weather Service.
In 1863, the two-month span saw 3.14 inches of precipitation in Albuquerque. In 1993, 2.76 inches was recorded.
“There is still time to break the record, and with what the (weather) pattern looks like now, we’ve got a pretty good chance,” said Chuck Jones, a weather service meteorologist.