Arizona Drought Status

A few storms passed through Arizona during the past 30 days, but they brought little precipitation to the southern region where precipitation deficits and drought classifications are the highest. According to the April 19, 2011, update of the National Drought Monitor, drought conditions increased and intensified over much of southern Arizona. Severe drought expanded north through Graham, Greenlee, and southern Apache counties, while extreme drought expanded westward through Santa Cruz and eastern Pima counties. Currently, about 50 percent of Arizona is classified with moderate, severe or extreme drought, including about 12 percent as extreme (Figures 5a–b), twice the area of a month ago. Severe drought expanded by about 10 percent statewide over the same period.

Drought impact reports submitted through AZ DroughtWatch (http://azdroughtwatch.org) indicate that short-term impacts such as stressed vegetation and ecosystems are emerging due to the lack of winter precipitation. Range conditions and livestock water resources are also reported as being impacted by extreme drought conditions in the southeast part of the state.