U.S. Drought Monitor

 (data through 7/19/11)
Data Source(s): Data Sources: U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Drought Mitigation Center, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Much of the western U.S. remains drought-free after a banner wet winter and spring. The exceptions are Arizona and New Mexico, where drought conditions have continued to intensify. The monsoon started with a bang in a few parts of Arizona—although precipitation was not widespread or heavy enough to improve drought conditions—and a bust for most of New Mexico. Across the West, drought expanded slightly, from 21 percent in mid-June to 25 percent in mid-July, according to the July 19 update of the U.S. Drought Monitor (Figure 3). Most of the expansion occurred in western Arizona and Southern California, where monsoon precipitation has been limited. Drought conditions intensified over large portions of New Mexico, eastern Arizona, and southern Colorado. Extreme and exceptional drought conditions expanded across these areas due to ongoing and increasing precipitation deficits.

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