Precipitation

Precipitation since the water year began on October 1 generally  has ranged from 130 percent of average in the northwest corner of Arizona to less than 25 percent of average in the southeastern corner of New Mexico (Figures 2a–b). The wet-to-dry gradient continues to run diagonally across both states. The Colorado Plateau and central counties of Arizona, as well as the northwest and northern borders of New Mexico, have received between 50 to 90 percent of average precipitation. The southern Arizona counties and the southeastern two-thirds of New Mexico have received 25–50 percent of average.  Eddy, Chaves, and Lea counties in southeastern New Mexico have received even less.

In the last 30 days, monsoon storms have delivered copious rains to parts of southeastern Arizona including Graham, Greenlee, and western Cochise counties, as well as to central Coconino County in northern Arizona and southern Hidalgo and Luna counties in southwest New Mexico (Figures 2c–d). However, most of the Southwest has received less than 70 percent of average rainfall in the last month, most notably western Arizona and eastern New Mexico, which have received less than 50 percent of their average.