NASA examined Tropical Cyclone Bud's rains in the US southwest

Beneficial rainfall from hurricane Bud's remnants has spread into the U.S. Desert Southwest after making landfall in western Mexico and moving north. NASA added up the rainfall using satellite data to provide a full picture of the rainfall.

This rainfall has been helpful in an area that has been experiencing exceptional drought accompanied by wildfires. Bud's rainfall may also signal the beginning of the summer monsoon over the Desert Southwest.

NASA crated an image showing estimates of accumulated rainfall using IMERG (Integrated Multi-satellitE Retrievals for GPM) data generated during the period from June 9 to 18, 2018. GPM is the Global Precipitation Measurement mission, a joint mission between NASA and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, JAXA.

This rainfall occurred during the period when Bud formed southwest of Mexico, intensified into a powerful category four hurricane, dissipated as it moved northward and it's remnants then moved over the Desert Southwest.

IMERG estimates indicated that Bud produced the heaviest rainfall over the open waters of the eastern Pacific where over 512 mm (20.2 inches) fell. IMERG estimates indicated that the heaviest rainfall over land occurred in northwestern Mexico with over 200 mm (7.9 inches) indicated.

Another area of heavy rain associated with a tropical disturbance was found over the western Gulf of Mexico. That tropical disturbance is bringing some rain to Texas today, June 19. The National Hurricane Center noted "Scattered to numerous showers and thunderstorms are over the northwestern Gulf of Mexico, associated with an upper level low interacting with a surface trough near the Texas coast."