Precipitation

Storm tracks during the winter progressed from southern California northeastward across the northwestern corner of Arizona.  Some of the larger storms crossed into central Arizona and a few moved across northern Arizona and northern New Mexico, dropping copious precipitation on higher-elevation locations. The precipitation pattern displayed a strong northwest-to-southwest gradient, ranging from 200–300 percent of average in northwestern Arizona to 50–70 percent of average across central and northeastern Arizona and northern New Mexico, to less than 50 percent of average in southeastern Arizona and eastern New Mexico, and less than 25 percent of average across southern New Mexico (Figure 2a).

The last 30 days brought virtually no precipitation to the southeastern three-fourths of New Mexico, while parts of northwestern New Mexico and southwestern Arizona received above-average rain and snow (Figures 2c–d).   The wettest areas, with 100-130 percent of average, are the Sangre de Cristo Mountains in north-central New Mexico and McKinley County, New Mexico.  Arizona’s wet spots include central Apache, northern Coconino, central Pinal, central and western Pima, and eastern Yuma counties.   Most of Cochise  County received less than 25 percent of average precipitation during the month.  However, even the wettest areas are relatively dry, as rainfall totals across the Southwest have been less than half an inch in the past month.