Temperature

Temperatures since the water year began on October 1 generally have been between 50 and 60 degrees Fahrenheit across northern Arizona and central New Mexico (Figure 1a). The deserts of southwestern Arizona have experienced temperatures between 60 and 75 degrees F, while southeastern Arizona has been between 60 and 65 degrees F. The higher elevations of northern and eastern Arizona and northern and western New Mexico have had cooler temperatures, ranging between 35 and 50 degrees F. These temperatures were generally 0–4 degrees F above average across Arizona and northern and western New Mexico (Figure 1b). Temperatures in northeastern and south-central New Mexico were 2–6 degrees F warmer than average. Small pockets of southwestern New Mexico were between 0 and 4 degrees F colder than average.

The past 30 days also have been warm, with temperatures rising between 0 to 3 degrees F above average in central, northern and western Arizona, and northern and eastern New Mexico (Figures 1c–d). Much of southwestern and west-central New Mexico have been 0–3 degrees F colder than average. The area in west-central Arizona with colder-than-average temperatures is due to a station move rather than unusually cold temperatures. The unseasonably warm temperatures are due to a lack of early winter storms across the Southwest, in part caused by the La Niña event. The La Niña circulation often brings high pressure over the Southwest, steering the winter storms north across the Pacific Northwest, Utah, and northern Colorado. When the Southwest has a dry winter, it is frequently warmer than average as well.