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Flash Flood Threat Closes Carlsbad Caverns Early On Friday

(photo courtesy of the National Park Service)

Arizona isn’t the only desert spot seeing an influx of precipitation lately. Areas in southeastern New Mexico have seen more than 3 inches of rain since Thursday. The threat of flash flooding forced officials at Carlsbad Caverns National Park to close early on Friday.

While the moisture southeastern New Mexico is seeing right now isn't going to break any records, the National Weather Service said the rainfall is significant.

Some roads have been closed, but so far no rescues have been reported.

"This area is pretty flash floody a lot of ravines and rocks," said Doug Cain with the National Weather Service. "It doesn’t really soak in, it tends to run off. Radar estimates that across eddy and lea counties that up to 8” of rain has fallen."

According to Cain, the weather system moving through New Mexico is partly related to monsoonal moisture but is mostly the result of a cold front.

Carrie Jung was a senior field correspondent from 2014 to 2018.