Palo Duro Extreme Heat Study Summer 2021

 After a remarkably cool late June through late July period, a high pressure ridge brought the first triple-digit heat to the Palo Duro Canyon State Park on Saturday 24th of July (101.8 degrees at the floor West Texas Mesonet station).  WTAMU students will be out collecting data next week with National Weather Service forecasts near 100 degrees each day for the Canyon.  

 WTAMU Student Researchers downloaded data from deployed weather stations in the morning of July 15th in Palo Duro Canyon. The rainfall has resulted in lots of vegetation growth, which required "clearing" the weeds from around one of the valley locations. Photos from the excursion are below:

Data collection continues in the Park, but Intensive Observations have been shut down since June 24th due to additional heavy rain and cool temperatures! WTAMU students will be going to the park to check for flood losses on the sensors along the stream in the next week. National Weather Service data on the streak of cool temperatures are shown below, as well as the radar precipitation estimates for the last 2 weeks, where most areas in the region have had 5-10 inches of precipitation!