| May 6, 2013 | No. 60 |
April 2013
I posted the April 2013 weather data for the Palmira Weather Station. It was a dry month with milder but continued winds out of the northeast. At the Palmira Station we had a total of 0.28 inches of rain recorded on 4 separate days and 26 days with no rain. Our average winds were 5.5 mph with a Max gust Wind recording of 25.9 mph. The Average Temperature was 69.9 F with a Minimum of 60.3 and a Maximum Temperature of 86.4 degrees F.
Here are the totals for April of 2013 as reported from different areas in the District of Boquete:
Rainfall for April 2013 |
||
Area |
Contributor |
Inches |
| El Santuario | Terry Zach | 0.95 |
| Jaramillo Abajo | Sela Burkholder | 1.84 |
| Jaramillo Arriba | Steve Sarner | 0.92 |
| Los Naranjos | Craig Bennett | 0.39 |
| Lucero (Cielo Paraiso) | Michael Mullin | 5.66 |
| Palmira Arriba | Lloyd Cripe | 0.28 |
At Palmira, we had less rain than any other year we have recorded. In the past we have ranged between 2 and 16 inches. This year, with a little over a 1/4 inch (0.28), is the least we have seen since installing the station in 2007. You can see from looking at the chart above the District of Boquete rainfall varies but all-in-all April has been a dry month.
May started with some days of no wind and some rain. At the Palmira Station we have recorded 1.64 inches in the last 5 days. I think May will bring showers and maybe even some flowers will get watered. Already the birds are starting to nest. They are singing out their hearts early in the mornings and the insect population has increased to provide them with lots of food to survive and raise their young. I noticed this morning the sun is shining and the air is very still. This typically means that we will see clouds developing over the hours of the day and the arrival of some rain in the afternoon. I think we are clearly moving into the rainy season as is usually the case in May, often one of our wetest months.
At the beginning of the rainy season, we usually start getting rains in Palmira before Bajo Boquete and farther north start getting rains. Areas farther south (down) of our location usually get rain before we do. You can see this in the reports above. Note that Lucero which is at a lower elevation and closer to Caldera had almost 6 inches of rain last month. As you come up in elevation there is less reported rain.
I heard yesterday that Bajo Boquete has not had any rain so far in May. I suggested they be paitient and it will come. Usually as the rainy season develops the humidity starts building over the Pacific and hits David first. The humidity systesms gradually start moving northward first hitting the savanna between David and Alto Boquete as the rainy season develops. As the moist air gradually pushs northward, it rises and moisture starts falling on us, but it has to build to a certain point before we actually start getting hefty rain systems (thunder storms). Be patient, the rain will come and I will shortly see emails change from "Is it ever going to rain?" to "Is it ever going to stop raining?" With either inquiry, the answer is "Yes, just be patient."
I want to remind you again to be sure to report earthquakes after feeling them. Please report your earthquake experiences as soon as possible after experiencing them. This type of information is very useful to those researching and observing earthquake data. The Earthquake Report Form link is at the Earthquake page of the Website. The information goes to directly to researchers here in Panama. Report all quakes that you feel, even the small ones. These are the ones they really need to know about to best understand local events.
If you didn't see this NASA prodution several weeks ago, take a look. I think it is an amazing sight and an incredible human accomplishment. Be sure and check out the one year composite photo. Think a bit about this ball of energy that is essential for life on the planet. It is worth some meditation.
You can check out the latest ENSO Cycle Report to see that we are still in a neutral condition and it is predicted that this will continue through the summer. You can get yourself educated as to what all of this means at this NOAA website. If you want to earn a graduate degree on the topic go here.
The IRI (International Research Institute for Climate and Society - select South America from the Region menu) is reporting that we will most probably have normal precipitation (note gray areas) for the months of May 2013 through July of 2013. Here is their current graphic.
A person approached me yesterday in Bajo Boquete and asked what is going on with the birds? He finds it annoying that some birds on his place start singing about 5:30am and this distrubs his sleep. He wanted to know if they will ever go away. I explained that it is the mating and nesting season and the songs are part of this. I suggested ear plugs might solve the problem. He wasn't amused.
To me the sounds of the singing birds early in the morning are a sign of life. These small creatures are very sensitive to the health of the planet. If they are surviving and thriving it is a good sign that the environment is safe for our habitation. Their songs hearld life. Birds on the surface of the planet are like the canaries in the mines, they assure us that things aren't so toxic around us that we can't make it. They bring cheer that the end is not here. When the birds stop singing, your ears may stop ringing, but you won't be surviving. Try to enjoy their optimistic carols. Here is a link to a pair on our upper patio that have been seranading us. Be sure and read the captions.
You will definitely need the umbrella as the month progresses. Be sure and check that the birds haven't done a job on it! Also crank up those dehumidifiers and get braced for the FENOSA bills!
Lloyd Cripe