More rain predicted for weekend

By XAVIER ZARAGOZA
Douglas Dispatch
Published/Last Modified on Friday, July 25, 2008 3:09 PM MDT


The monsoon rains are predicted to decrease for Thursday and Friday, but are expected to return with full force by the weekend, the National Weather Service said.


Lately the rains and thunderstorms have come during the early to late evening. What has been lacking here, though, is the violent, sweeping storms typical of the monsoon. Average rains with some wind have been the norm.

In July Douglas received about 3.14 inches of rain. Last year in July the area received about 3.33 inches.

“Douglas has had normal rainfall this year,” said Erick Pytlak, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Tucson. “In fact, for all of Southeast Arizona rainfall has been normal.”

Pylak said that the monsoon begins on July 15 and ends September 30.

He said that meteorologists now do not rely solely on the dew point to predict the monsoon. With radar and satellites, it much easier to see the shape and pattern of upcoming storm fronts.

Thunderstorms are one indicator that monsoons are developing and often the lightning is present long before the rain arrives.

Pytlak said that the monsoon is a change in weather direction, changing to easterly winds that bring in tropical moisture.

This weekend Douglas is expected to receive some of the moisture from tropical storm Dolly, Pytlak said.

Copyright © 2012 Douglas Dispatch

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