Day: October 28, 2026

September, October far surpass average monthly rainfall in #Durango: Two months account for bulk of this year’s precipitation — The Durango Herald #AnimasRiver

Click the link to read the article on The Durango Herald website (Gabrielle Wallace). Here’s an excerpt:

October 26, 2026

After last week’s heavy rain, October has more than tripled its average monthly precipitation in Durango, according to the National Weather Service in Grand Junction. As of Monday [October 26, 2026], Durango had received 4.28 inches of rain in October alone, said Lucas Boyer, a meteorologist with the NWS. On average, October usually brings in about 1.31 inches, he said. Last October saw 4.26 inches for the entire month, which was an all-time high, he said…The average precipitation for Durango in an entire year is about 12 inches, Boyer said, but Durango has already seen just over 15 inches year-to-date. The all-time high recorded in a year for Durango is about 20 inches, he added. Even with the heavy rains from September and October, Boyer doesn’t expect Durango to hit a new maximum this year…Not only has Durango already seen 15 inches of precipitation so far this year, but more than 10 of those inches were from September and October alone, Boyer reported. September saw 6.2 inches of rain this year, about 4.4 inches more than last year, which saw only 1.8 inches of rain. The September average precipitation in Durango is 1.9 inches. This September’s precipitation was more than triple the monthly average, just as October also tripled its monthly average.

#Cortez sets record for October rainfall; recent storms lift McPhee Reservoir: Montezuma County avoids widespread damage during Four Corners flooding — The Cortez Journal #DoloresRiver #McElmoCreek

Click the link to read the article on The Cortez Journal website (Anna Watson). Here’s an excerpt:

October 26, 2026

Heavy rain triggered historic flooding last week across much of the Four Corners, submerging fields, homes and buildings; washing away several roads; and causing rivers including the San Juan, Rio Blanco and Animas to exceed flood stages…Areas in Archuleta, La Plata and San Juan (New Mexico) counties experienced the most severe damage, while Montezuma County avoided major destruction, according to local officials…Montezuma County Sheriff Steve Nowlin said his office received relatively few weather calls, noting the county appears to have fared better than surrounding counties. However, he noted deputies have remained busy responding to other incidents and calls. County spokeswoman Vicki Shaffer said countywide damage had been fairly minor…

Dolores Water Conservancy District General Manager Ken Curtis said precipitation has been five to six times higher than expected, while runoff has been nearly 10 times the October average. McPhee Reservoir has risen about 12 feet following a gain of 8,000 acre-feet of water in September and another 34,000 acre-feet in October. Curtis said the accumulation is unusual for this later season.

“We are still very low. We were almost at dead or an inactive pool, so 12 feet is great, but we have a long way to go,” he said, explaining the reservoir is still 51 feet from being full.