FARMINGTON – Temperatures are expected to continue to break records this week in northern New Mexico, as the drought lingers into the start of the summer.
Right now, San Juan County is almost entirely in what the U.S. Drought Monitor considers an “exceptional drought.” Sharon Sullivan, meteorologist with the National Weather Service based in Albuquerque, said this time last year, San Juan County was in a “severe” to “extreme drought.”
The Farmington Airport, where the National Weather Service gets local data, has received 1.96 inches of precipitation this year. Sullivan said the normal total would be 3.14 inches to date. However, Sullivan said Farmington might see some isolated to scattered storms this week.
Because of the prolonged drought and heat wave, San Juan County and the city of Farmington issued bans on certain fireworks and stopped issuing burn permits.
Farmington broke records for high temperatures Saturday through Thursday, and unusually high temperatures were expected to continue through Friday, according to Sullivan and the seven-day forecast on the National Weather Service’s website.
- Saturday’s high of 98 degrees broke the previous record of 96 degrees, set June 12, 2018.
- Sunday, the high of 101 degrees broke the previous record of 97 degrees, set June 13, 2018.
- Monday, the high of 101 degrees broke the previous record of 99 degrees, set June 14, 1952.
- Tuesday, the high of 103 degrees broke the record of 97 degrees, set June 15, 2007.
- Wednesday, the high of 104 degrees at 4 p.m. shattered the previous record of 97, set June 16, 2007.
- Thursday the high temperature hit 102, which beat the record of 97, set June 17, 2017.
- Friday and Saturday are forecast above or near record highs. The record high for June 18 is 97 degrees, set in 1954, and the forecast high is 99. June 19 had a record-breaking temperature of 99 in 2016, and the high temperature is expected to reach 96 degrees this year.
North of Farmington in Colorado, Cortez also broke records for daily high temperatures.
