The beginning of July may be marked by much-anticipated precipitation after long stretches of hot, dry weather throughout the month of June.
Afternoon showers can be expected Friday and may last into early next week, said Jimmy Fawler, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Grand Junction.
Friday and Saturday are the best bets for scattered showers and thunderstorms. Both days will be mostly sunny, with highs near 90 degrees. On Friday afternoon, there is a 20 percent chance of rain, with a slightly decreased chance on Saturday.
Afternoon showers are also possible Sunday and Monday. The moisture could hang around longer, but it is still too early to tell what it will look like next week, Fawler said.
The weather system is coming to the region from the Gulf of Mexico. Thus, this is not the monsoon which comes from the Pacific Ocean. Monsoons typically arrive in mid-July.
Data from the month of June, recorded at the Durango-La Plata County Airport, reveals that temperatures were higher than normal this year.
The average high temperature for June 2018 was 86.1 degrees, compared to a normal high of 81.5. Normal values are based on data from 1981-2010. Average low temperatures were 44.5 degrees in June, compared to the normal 42.7 degrees.
The hottest day was the 27th at 95 degrees. In June 2017, the hottest day was the 21st, at 96 degrees. The coldest day was the 2nd, at 37 degrees, compared to 30 degrees on June 13, 2017.
At the airport weather station, .84 inches of rain fell for the month. The normal average is .64 inches, but in June 2017, just .01 inches fell.
The weather patterns experienced in June continued to contribute to exceptional drought conditions throughout the region. This has caused multiple red flag warnings caused by extreme fire danger fueling numerous fires throughout the Western United States.
Fire danger has caused all lands in La Plata County to be into either stage 2 or stage 3 fire restrictions. Campfires, fireworks and smoking are banned and under strict enforcement.
