- Many parts of New Mexico that were bone dry at the beginning of summer have mostly or completely recovered from the drought.
- Nowhere has this change been more dramatic than in the southeast corner of the state.
- The drought continues to take a heavy toll in San Juan, McKinley, Rio Arriba, Bernalillo, Santa Fe, Las Alamos, Catron, Grant, Hidalgo and Luna counties.
FARMINGTON – While the monsoon season doesn’t officially end until late September, it’s clear that the summer weather pattern, which usually brings lots of moisture to the Southwest, has helped alleviate the drought’s impact on much of New Mexico.
Chuck Jones, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Albuquerque, said the agency won’t have figures on total monsoon rainfall until early October after the end of the season.
However, a look at the U.S. Drought Monitor map for New Mexico – and the rest of the Southwest – reveals a significant improvement over the past two and a half months. Many parts of the state that were bone dry at the beginning of summer have largely or completely overcome the drought.
Nowhere has this change been more dramatic than in the southeast corner of the state. According to the Southwest and California Drought Status Update, which suffered severe, extreme, or exceptional drought on the 24th, the three worst categories.
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Now, two and a half months later, the picture looks very different there, as parts of six of these counties are now labeled as normal. Much of the remaining territory in the southeastern corner of the state is classified as unusually arid or has experienced moderate drought.
While other parts of the state saw significant improvements as well – parts of 13 counties in New Mexico are now drought-free compared to parts of just two counties as of June 24 – others have not been as lucky. Many parts of central, southwestern, and northwestern New Mexico that were caught in the drought at the beginning of summer remain that way, although their status has also improved.
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The drought continues to take a heavy toll in the counties of San Juan, McKinley, Rio Arriba, Bernalillo, Santa Fe, Las Alamos, Catron, Grant, Hidalgo and Luna, each of which counties still have a sizable area considered to be of extreme drought is marked, the second worst category.
That’s not to say that these places are doing as badly as they were a month ago, when large swaths of all of these counties experienced an extraordinary drought. In fact, the percentage of the state classified as an exceptional drought has decreased from more than 50% at the beginning of 2021 to about 33% three months ago, 4.5% on August 10, and 0% on September 9. And while New Mexico experienced extreme drought on August 10th, that percentage dropped to 19.1% by September 7th.
According to drought.gov, it was the 32nd wettest August in New Mexico in 127 years. Las Cruces has had a particularly good monsoon so far, collecting 5.06 inches of rainfall during that period, the third wettest monsoon ever, according to drought.gov.
But even that pales in comparison to many Arizona cities where Tucson, Flagstaff, and Payson have hit double-digit humidity levels this season alone.
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San Juan County hasn’t seen that kind of premium, but it has had a relatively good monsoon season, at least by the poor standards of recent years. Jones said Farmington received 1.6 inches of moisture at the Four Corners Regional Airport during the three month period, a figure close to the 30-year average of 1.62 inches.
For the year, Farmington has drawn 4.31 inches of rainfall, almost the 4.68 inches the city has received on average over the past 30 years through late August. For the past three decades, Farmington has averaged 7.76 inches annually.
On September 7, most of San Juan County was still in extreme drought, with only parts of the southwest and southeast corners being affected by severe drought. But on August 10th, about half the county was in an exceptional drought, and now none of that is the case.
Mike Easterling can be reached at 505-564-4610 or [email protected]. Support local journalism with a digital subscription.
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