Date issued
03-22-2003
Although extreme to exceptional drought continues over parts of the West, during the past month drought conditions eased somewhat for Arizona and remained virtually unchanged in New Mexico. Areas of moderate drought status in Arizona and New Mexico are due to deficient groundwater levels. Short-term drought eased, especially in western Arizona, with winter season coolness and recent rain and snowfall. Winter precipitation in February and March at many mountain locations in both states was above average, leading to an improvement in both short-term drought and snowpack conditions (see page 8). However, despite mid-March precipitation many times greater than the weekly long-term average in some places, precipitation amounts have not been enough to overcome several years of deficits. Hence, hydrological drought is still a concern of resource managers in Arizona and New Mexico. In addition, severe to exceptional drought conditions persist in Mexico, south of the Arizona and New Mexican broders.