A tropical disturbance passed into the Pacific through Nicaragua, passing on the south side
of a warm core ridge centered across the southern Plains.  A strong upper trough remained
across the West through the lifetime of the cyclone, drawing moisture from a weakening
tropical storm Orlene into the Desert Southwest.  The disturbance west of Nicaragua was
classified as Tropical Depression #20 on the morning of the 18th while located south of
Salina Cruz.  The system slowly intensified, reaching tropical storm status on the evening
of the 19th.  Newton paralleled the southwest coast of Mexico, becoming a hurricane on
the night of the 20th to the southwest of Guadalajara.  On the afternoon of the 22nd the
center passed about 30 miles northeast of Cabo San Lucas before moving inland near
Punta Rosa.  The remains of this hurricane continued northward as a thunderstorm
complex into New Mexico, with the remnant disturbance then moving northeastward
across the Midwest, rounding the subtropical ridge to its south, before diving east-
southeast offshore the Mid-Atlantic states.
  
The storm total rainfall maps below were constructed using data provided by the National
Climatic Data Center in Asheville, NC and the Servicio Nacional del Agua, parent agency
of Mexico's national weather service.