Tommy looks across the East Fork drainage. The Quartz Ridge Fire was starting to get more active around noon yesterday – pic taken 9/6/2023
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Thursday – 7 Sep 2023 – 9:20am
The past…
At Stevens Field the high temperature yesterday was 81 and the low this morning was 43. Humidity bottomed out yesterday afternoon at 11%.
Low temps across the area this morning were mostly in the mid-30s to mid-40s. The “Rio Spring” Ambient weather sensor near the upper Piedra River bridge hit 30 yesterday morning and again this morning. Fall is in the air!
The peak wind at Stevens Field yesterday was 30mph.
| Average High | Record High / Year | Average Low | Record Low / Year |
| 77 | 87 / 1945 | 39 | 27 / 1912 |
Precipitation summary… There has been no recent measurable precip.
Fire updates…
As expected yesterday, warm temps, dry air, drying fuels, and gusty winds helped both fires get more active.
Quartz Ridge Fire link
Bear Creek Fire link
Forecast discussion…
There is nothing on radar this morning in our area.
Forecast Highlights…
*** An Air Quality Alert was issued last night for moderate to heavy smoke. Smoke will be worst each night and into mid-mornings to Sunday morning. ***
Sunny and dry with breezy afternoons through Saturday.
More clouds, cooler temps, scattered showers and thunderstorms next week.
Rest of today through Sunday… Dry upper-level flow will persist during this period. We’ll see gusty afternoon winds, lots of sun, and temps near to slightly above average. Sunday is a transition day as clouds increase and moisture begins moving into the region. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible, mostly over the mountains.
Winds… Afternoon gusts will mostly be in the 15-25mph range.
Temps… Highs will range from the low to high 80s and lows will range from the mid-30s to mid-40s.
Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday… This period looks more and more interesting. Some forecast models are starting to indicate that moisture from Hurricane Jova will move into our area, and we’ll get a good soaking. Other forecast models don’t expect the moisture to move into the desert southwest at all. I expect more clouds, cooler temps, and scattered showers and thunderstorms. At this point, I’m skeptical of a good soaking.
Winds… Afternoon gusts will mostly be in the 15-20mph range, but stronger gusts are possible near showers and thunderstorms.
Temps… Monday highs will be in the low to high 70s and lows will be in the low 40s to low 50s. Tuesday and Wednesday highs will range from the high 60s to mid-70s and lows will range from the low 40s to low 50s.
Keep an eye on the bottom left. Starting tomorrow at noon Hurricane Jova has lots of moisture and is moving northwest. By Sunday afternoon Jova is expected to weaken into a tropical storm. It’s just off this chart to the bottom left, but the leading edge of Jova’s moisture is moving into southern California. Now watch those dark greens and blues increase over the Four Corners region through the rest of the loop. Moisture is at its peak in our area Tuesday evening through Wednesday morning.
My next post will be on Saturday.
– Shawn
