Arizona Drought Status

A storm system in late December helped to reduce abnormally dry conditions across northern and central Arizona, but most of the southern half of the state remains under moderate drought conditions, according to the January 18 update of the U.S. Drought Monitor (Figure 4a). Although few winter storms have passed through the Southwest so far this winter, several powerful storms have dumped copious rain and snow in northern Arizona. However, very little precipitation has fallen anywhere in Arizona since January 1, perpetuating drought conditions in many regions, especially over the southeastern corner of the state. Currently, 32 percent of Arizona is experiencing moderate drought conditions, down from 36 percent about one month ago (Figure 4b). Also, 18 percent of the state is classified as abnormally dry, down from 58 percent on December 21.

Drought impact reports logged on Arizona DroughtWatch have helped confirm that conditions are improving across northern Arizona and that some regions are still mired in drought. Several reports note that earthen watering tanks for livestock have yet to fill southern Arizona. If conditions continue to be drier than average for the remainder of the winter, which is expected, ranchers could face problems later in the season. More drought impact reports can be viewed on Arizona DroughtWatch’s webpage at http://azdroughtwatch.org/.