WHEN IT COMES TO NEW MEXICO’S SNOWPACK, TIME IS ON OUR SIDE. THAT’S THE MESSAGE FROM ROYCE FONTENOT, A HYDROLOGIST WITH THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN ALBUQUERQUE . HE SAYS WE STARTED THE SEASON STRONG, BUT WE’RE NOT WHERE WE NEED TO BE, YET. HE SAYS THEY MAY BE ABLE TO BEEF UP THE NUMBERS SOME SINCE THE MODELS SHOW A MORE ACTIVE PATTERN IN THE NEXT WEEK TO 10 DAYS.
FONTENOT SAYS A GOOD EL NINO WILL HOPEFULLY GIVE THE STATE WHAT IT NEEDS IN THE WAY OF PRECIPITATION. HOWEVER, THAT SAME EL NINO COULD BRING WARMER TEMPERATURES WHICH MEANS SOME OF THE MOISTURE MIGHT BE IN THE FORM OF RAIN, NOT SNOW.
