Rainfall totals for July inching toward record

Bursts of rain fell across the state Tuesday, leaving some major precipitation totals, as well as the potential for more storms today and into this week. With Tuesday’s rainfall totals, it’s become one of the wettest Julys on record, according to meteorologist Andrew Church of the National Weather Service’s Albuquerque office. “Depending on how much we get here, we could be moving up the ladder toward the wettest July,” Church said. Many parts of the state were hit with significant rainfall Monday night and into the morning, including Newkirk east of Santa Rosa, which received 7.05 inches. Santa Rosa got 3 inches, according to the weather service. The Roswell airport saw 2.23 inches fall. “There was a lot of good rainfall,” said meteorological technician Troy Marshall. The rain comes as New Mexico suffers through its fourth year of drought. Church said after recent rainfall, most parts of the state that were at extreme drought levels will be lowered to “severe” drought levels. “It’s been making a lot of improvements,” Church said...more