Arizona Drought Status

Dry and warm fall conditions in the past month contributed to the continuation of moderate or more severe short-term drought conditions in most of Arizona, according to the November 13 update of the U.S Drought Monitor (Figures 4a–b). About 99 percent of the state is experiencing at least moderate drought, with the most severe conditions occupying a large area in the Four Corners region. Southeastern and central Arizona have less extreme drought conditions than they did one year ago, while the Four Corners region has seen worsening drought.

In the past month, less than 50 percent of average precipitation fell across most of Arizona; consequently, drought coverage and intensity did not improve. November often can be dry, but the winter months can contribute large fractions of the total annual precipitation. One storm that struck the Southwest between November 9 and 11 brought more than an inch of rain to the higher elevations of central and eastern Arizona, but it was too little to compensate for substantial deficits in longer-term precipitation that have accumulated over this area over the past two years.

In other drought indices, the Vegetation Drought Index (VegDRI), which is a measure of the stress on vegetation caused by drought, also shows moderate to severe drought across much of eastern Arizona. Some improvements are noted in eastern Mohave and western Coconino counties, where recent precipitation, as little as it was, may have relieved some short-term drought stress.