Temperature

Arizona’s temperatures since the water year began on October 1 are well matched to the terrain, with the hottest conditions in the southwest deserts, the cooler conditions on the Colorado Plateau, and coldest at the highest elevations (Figure 1a).  New Mexico temperatures also tend to follow the terrain, but are significantly cooler than those in Arizona. More of the storms have tracked across New Mexico than Arizona, although many clipped the northern half of the state. Few of the storms ferried cold temperatures, and therefore most of the region has experienced above-average temperatures (Figure 1b). In Arizona, temperature anomalies in Gila County were the largest in the region, registering between 2 and 4 degrees Fahrenheit above average.  In New Mexico, the eastern counties experienced the warmest temperature anomalies, due in part to storms skipping these regions.  

In the past 30 days, both states experienced unseasonably warm conditions (Figures 1c–d). High pressure in the eastern Pacific Ocean led to clear skies, dry westerly winds, and elevated air temperatures in the Southwest. Eastern New Mexico was the hottest area, with temperatures ranging from 3 to 6 degrees F warmer than average. The combination of warm conditions and the dry winter and spring helped the Whitewater-Baldy fire, located in the Gila National Forest, become New Mexico’s largest wildfire on record.