Greening Up in Tepoztlán
Tepoztlán, Morelos, Mexico. Notice the cascade at bottom center.
The hills and mountains everywhere are now a lush green that has emerged from prior dryness. Let's take a look at some of these factors making Tepoztán a unique and gorgeous place.
Climate
I doubt that many other places in the world have as even a climate as Tepoztlán. At nineteen degrees north of the equator, this is unusual. Its comfortable temperatures are primarily due to the high elevation.
There are two seasons: rainy and dry. Most of the year (December through May) it’s dry and sunny, with temperatures ranging from 50 ºF at night to a high of 85º in the day. The rainy season gets started in June, tapering in from a rainstorm once a week, to raining every day, beginning in August. When this happens, it’s usually an electrical storm that builds during the day, letting lose late afternoon or in the night. It’s very pleasant to have the air cleaned by the storm with sun shinning the next day, and to be outdoors observing the lushness of the verdant vegetation during this season. The rains taper off as the season ends, in November. More recently, the rainy seasons have shifted to less defined starting and ending times.
I've not experienced high pressure storms before I lived in Mexico. These are bright sunny days with strong winds.
The canícula (Dog Days, from Canis, the word Latin for dog) are a period of two weeks of dryness in mid-August.
Temperatures drop in the winter months, to 45 ºF at night and up to 75º during the day. It’s a good idea to have a sweater or jacket handy. In the higher regions, where the highway runs, occasionally there have been frosts at night. Here is a good graphic representation of Tepoztlán's weather fluctuations month by month.
The Rainy Season
Tláloc, the Aztec god of rain and fertility has graced us yet another year with abundant rainfall. Dry stream beds now have water. Cascades materialize. It's magic!
The Skies
In addition to the greening, what I love are the cloud formations interacting with the mountains. Often a cluster of clouds comes down, draped around a mountain like a scarf, reminding us of the coolness of the winter. Ever since I was a child, I've looked at the skies. I loved lying on my back, on the grass, gazing at clouds and seeing strange animals in their shapes. More recently I like photographing them in their variety of forms.
Here's a rare video of a storm rapidly approaching:
In terms of air quality, Mexico rates low: 50th out of the total of 143 countries listed, while the US is at 120. This is based on particulate concentration (PM 2.5) averages as reported by the WHO. Various factors contribute to poor air quality in Tepoztlán, and this is most noticeable at the end of the dry season. The valley often traps particulates coming from Mexico City, local agricultural burns or forest fires, or from the nearby active volcano, Popocatépetl, only 50 kilometers away. The particulates often generate fantastic sunsets.
Here is a sunset I call "Whimsical Angel:"
