After record-breaking heat in July and a meager monsoon season, Arizona’s long-term drought has been expanded.
ARIZONA, USA — A new drought statement issued by the National Weather Service has some sobering news about the state of the drought in Arizona.
After record-breaking heat in July and a meager monsoon season, State Forty-Eight’s long-term drought has been expanded. However, the upside is the potential for rain El Nino will bring this winter.
According to the latest information coming in from the tropics, a moderate to strong El Nino is taking shape. That means wetter than normal conditions are expected into Spring 2024.
Yuma, La Paz, Mohave, and northern Coconino counties continued to receive above-average precipitation at the end of the monsoon season, while areas along the Mogollon Rim to the White Mountains, northern Apache, eastern Pima, western Cochise, and Santa Cruz counties received below-average precipitation.
Mohave and Coconino were the only counties with near-normal temperatures in September. Maricopa and most southeastern counties had temperatures much above average, while Santa Cruz and portions of Cochise, Graham, Greenlee counties had record warm temps.
After a year, Extreme (D3) short-term drought returned to the state in Santa Cruz County and portions of Maricopa, Gila, Pima, Cochise, Graham, and Greenlee counties (6% of the state).
Moderate (D1) and Severe (D2) short-term drought advanced in central, southern, and eastern counties (45% of the state).
Abnormally Dry (D0) conditions (41% of the state) largely remained in western and northern counties, with areas of no drought (8% of the state) continuing in portions of central Coconino, northwestern Mohave, and southern Yuma counties.
Summer extremes expanded Arizona’s long-term drought.
Exceptional (D4) long-term drought persisted in southern La Paz County but also started developing in central Maricopa and southwestern Santa Cruz counties.
Extreme (D3) long-term drought advanced in Maricopa and portions of Yuma, La Paz and southeastern Coconino counties.
Southern Mohave, central La Paz, Yuma, and Maricopa counties expanded Severe (D2) long-term drought.
Pima and Pinal counties and areas along the Mogollon Rim to the White Mountains developed a Moderate (D1) long-term drought.
Portions of northern Mohave, northern to central Coconino, northern Navajo and Apache, and Cochise counties still contained smaller areas of Abnormally Dry (D0) conditions or areas without long-term drought.
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