"UNUSUAL WEATHER"
by
Don Watson

If our friends on the west coast will pardon us we would like to go on record with the statement that the weather this year has certainly been "unusual". Even the oldest old timer can not scratch his head back far enough to remember anything like it, so, lacking this positive proof, we will have to give a few figures to show the term "unusual weather" is justified.

First of all it has been dry. Day after day, all through the winter, the sun rose and set in a cloudless sky and only a few times was there snow on the mesa top. This lack of snow can best be seen by comparing the total fall of the past winter with that of the three previous winters.

This lack of snow has caused the supply of water in the earth to be very low and before summer is over many of the springs on the Mesa will go dry.

Not only has the past winter been dry but the precipitation during the last year has been much below normal. The precipitation of 14.08 inches for the last is much under the average for the preceding ten years, which average is 17.7 inches.

The following graph presents the precipitation during the last year in comparison to the average of the past ten years. Particular attention is called to the subnormal months from December, 1933 to May, 1934, a Spring period during which much available water for plant use is usually deposited in the mesa soil.

During any previous year in the history of the Mesa Verde this lack of precipitation would have been disastrous because the water supply for the Park depended entirely upon the yearly moisture. In the early days the old Cliff Dweller spring at Spruce Tree House was the sole source of water. Then a few years ago two acres of the mesa top were covered with galvanized iron and great storage tanks held all of the rain and snow water that fell, on this area. This Spring, after an unusually dry winter, the storage tanks were almost empty and a great deal of rain would have been necessary to prevent a serious water shortage. But at last modern methods have triumphed and the water problem for Mesa Verde has been forever solved. After two years of intermittent drilling a well has been pounded down 4200 feet into the sandstone and a splendid flow of water encountered. An electric pump has been installed and we are now assured of a permanent supply of water.

During this year of subnormal precipitation the temperatures have been running above normal and only recently some of the highest temperatures in the history of the Mesa Verde have been recorded. During June the thermometer soared into the nineties on several occasions and on June 29 it reached 98, tying our high temperature record.

This average mean temperature of 53 degrees is 3.9 degrees higher than the average mean temperature for the preceding ten year period. This excess has increased the evaporation and greatly reduced the moisture usually left to the plants. Thus, where we may stress the lack of rainfall and the many clear sunny days, there is a gradual increase in the deficiency of soil moisture that in time will present a critical stage for plant life. Very few flowers are to be seen this summer especially in the southern part of the Park near the headquarters area. Mariposa lilies, usually so abundant in this part of the Mesa have been almost entirely missing. The corn in our little experimental field is curling up and dying, and, unless the summer rains come soon, will not survive the hot weather.

Even after a year or two of drouth we can begin to realize what it meant to the Cliff Dwellers to be subjected to a drouth period of 23 years. Their only escape was to move away, but now, thanks to our splendid well, no period of drouth will ever be able to dislodge us.

vol5-1h.htm
14-Oct-2011