T-shirt weather has returned to Durango. Summery temperatures are well above-average for May, with Tuesday’s 86-degree high almost reaching the 88-degree record. (Jerry McBride, Durango Herald file)
T-shirt weather has returned to Durango. Summery temperatures are well above-average for May, with Tuesday’s 86-degree high almost reaching the 88-degree record. (Jerry McBride, Durango Herald file)

The second week of May has brought a heatwave back to Durango, with temperatures Tuesday reaching 86 degrees.

If that felt hotter than normal for this time of year, that’s because it was. National Weather Service meteorologist Matthew Aleksa said temperatures have been hovering around 15 to 20 degrees above normal, with Tuesday’s high topping out at just shy of the 88-degree record, which was set in 2002.

“Typically around this time of year, our normal is in the upper 60s to near 70s,” Aleksa said.

That high heat came after weeks of relatively cool, wetter weather. That pattern is typical in springtime, Aleksa said.

“We tend to see this roller-coaster type pattern where you get these warm ups, and then a (weather) system comes through and cools things down, and then it warms back up again,” Aleksa said.

Aleksa said a ridge of high pressure is over the Western United States, blocking cooler air to the north.

Looking one to three months out, Aleksa said there are higher probabilities for above-average temperatures to linger over the West, with equal chances for above- or below-average precipitation. But, he said, he is watching for a potential increase in the likelihood of increased precipitation sometime in the summer.

“As we go into the midpoint of the summer, we are seeing a signal, possibly for above-normal precipitation chances increasing for that July, August, September time frame across the Four Corners into eastern Utah and Western Colorado,” Aleksa said.

That could correspond with the atmospheric shift to an El Niño weather pattern, which generally favors increased chances for precipitation in the Southwest. Aleksa said the atmosphere is in a weak El Niño, with it becoming increasingly likely that it will become stronger.

But that doesn’t guarantee there will be more rain. At the same time, there is increased wildfire danger this year due in part to how little snow fell last the winter.

With no meaningful rain in the immediate forecast and with Memorial Day weekend coming up, Aleksa said it is especially important for residents and visitors to conserve water and reduce wildfire risk.

“Just be mindful of water usage, and limit or reduce any outdoor burning,” Aleksa said. “We are in a drought, and it is hot and warm and dry.”

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