Water year was close to normal

All things considered, San Juan County completed a most unusual year during the recently completed water year: a year that was close to normal. In an area that is renowned for drought and flooding, but rarely normal conditions, the 2007-08 water year was close to normal.

The water year started with warmer and dryer than normal conditions in October and November, 2007.

The weather pattern changed dramatically in December, 2007, when a series of storms hit San Juan County. The storms brought an early winter snow pack that grew throughout the winter months and ensured a strong runoff when warmer conditions arrived.

The spring and summer months brought close to normal weather conditions, with rain totals in area communities showing evidence of the “isolated” thunderstorms that mark the summer months in San Juan County.

For several months in a row, Blanding received significantly greater than normal rain fall, while Monticello and Bluff totals were close to normal. In total, the year to date precipitation in Blanding was 131 percent of normal, while it was 92 percent of normal in Monticello and 111 percent of normal in Bluff.

After a cool spring, beautiful weather hit San Juan County in mid June. The high temperature in Monticello was in the 80s for more than 40 days in a row. In total, the temperature reached 90 degrees on just two days in Monticello and never exceeded 100 degrees in Blanding.