Cortez’s monsoon season ended, as the saying goes, not with a bang but a whimper. Although Cortez received twice as much rain as normal in August, it saw just a third of its average precipitation in September. Longtime local weather observer James Andrus reports that just half an inch of rain fell last month. However, year-to-date precipitation is still slightly above normal, at 108 percent, because of previous months with good moisture, and Montezuma County is considered drought-free for now. Four different days in late September saw record high temperatures in Cortez. Andrus also reports that the high of 90 degrees on September 29 made it the latest date in any year in recorded history that Cortez hit 90 degrees or above. The previous date was September 21, 1937, when the high was 91 degrees.
Cortez Animal Shelter kennel supervisor Jennifer Crouse says the shelter has been inundated with cats. She points out that as cold weather approaches, mice are coming into buildings looking for warm homes. She says anyone seeking a good mouser to keep the mice away can look for a feline at the shelter. Adoption costs $100, which includes the cost of spaying or neutering as well as the feline’s first set of shots.