Tropical Storm Newton Moves Over Sonora, Mexico
By Drew Lerner
Kansas City, September 7 (World Weather Inc.) – Hurricane Newtown reached the central west coast of Sonora, Mexico overnight and was downgraded to a tropical storm early this morning. The system will continue spreading rain from northwestern Mexico into Arizona and New Mexico today with some of the remnant moisture expected to help enhance rainfall from northwestern Oklahoma to Missouri and Illinoi over the next few days.
At 0400 CDT, the center of the storm was located 10 miles southeast of Bahia Kino, Mexico at 28.7 north, 111.8 west moving northerly at 17 mph while producing a maximum sustained surface wind speed of 70 mph. Tropical storm force wind (speeds over 39mph) was occurring out 230 miles from the storm center.
Newton will steadily weaken today and will be downgraded to tropical depression status later in the day. Further weakening Thursday will dissipate the storm as a significant tropical cyclone, although a remnant low pressure center will move over southeastern Arizona and southwestern and west-central New Mexico.
Rain is expected to be widespread today and Thursday from northwestern Mexico and southeastern Arizona into parts of West Texas and northwestern Oklahoma. Rain totals in northwestern Mexico will range from 2.00 to 6.00 inches and locally more while that in Arizona and New Mexico will range from 1.00 to 3.00 inches and locally more. Rainfall in western Texas will range from 0.25 to 0.75 inch and local totals over 1.00 inch while 0.75 to 2.50 inches occurs in northwestern Oklahoma and from eastern Kansas to Missouri and parts of Illinois Thursday into Friday. Some flooding is expected, but crop damage outside of northwestern Mexico is not very likely.
Citrus, sugarcane, cotton and host of other fruits and vegetables are produced in northwestern Mexico and some damage to each is possible. However, the storm’s quick weakening trend will help to minimize some of those losses. The moisture will be good for the region’s soil moisture and water supply.
Some of the cotton produced in Arizona and New Mexico may suffer some short term discoloration from the storm’s rain, but drier weather will return quickly enough to minimize the impact of rain. Several days of sunny and warm weather will likely help bleach discolored cotton fiber white once again.
The only impact on central U.S. crops will be a slowing of crop maturation rates and a further delay in the start of early corn harvesting.
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