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OK, nerdy weather lecture for today, because you asked #13:

West Texas is affected by the North American Monsoon (AKA southwestern Monsoon, Mexican Monsoon). East Texas is not. You can learn all you ever wanted to know about it here:

http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/twc/monsoon/monsoon_info.php

and

http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/fgz/science/monsoon.php?wfo=fgz

El Nino and La Nina have a less reliable effect on monsoon precipitation than on winter precipitation, and typically the sign is opposite; i.e. following a wet El Nino winter the monsoon is often suppressed, and is often more active following a dry La Nina winter. Winter precipitation is much more important for regional hydrologic concerns than summer precipitation, although at this point we'll take whatever we can get. Anyway, it typically begins in Mexico in June and in the southwestern US in early July, and continues until Labor Day, give or take. The effect is most pronounced in from central AZ through New Mexico, but is also potentially significant in the far western deserts and west Texas/high plains.

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Thank you FlagStuff. Although New Mexico had more snow than Colorado this past winter, we are anxiously awaiting the monsoon season to douse these raging wildfires. It is suspected that a juvenile started the Colorado Springs area wildfire that has destroyed 346 homes. There have also been wildfires near Durango. Albuquerque area has closed access to most of the bosque area around the Rio Grande because of the fire hazzard. Campers in the national forest campgrounds have been carelessly leaving their campfires smoldering, rather than making sure that they are completely out. The wildfire near Ruidoso, in the Gila Mountains, destroyed 240 homes.

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trekker502: That makes sense--I live in Houston which doesn't have a monsoon. We generally get rain year-round, with it heavier in the Spring and Summer. Thanks for the links.

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I have been in and out of the Houston Airport 6 times, and one time managed to land and leave just before one of your hurricanes.

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trekker502: Although Houston has had more attention then usual with hurricanes, we have only had only 2 direct hits in the 30+ years my parents have been here: Alicia in 1982 and Ike in 2008. I was fortunate enough to be out of state for both. Of course, we get tons of tropical storms which can do a lot of flood damage.