Weekly Map - Drought Conditions

The Arizona Drought Monitoring Technical Committee confers weekly to advise the U.S. Drought Monitor authors on the current drought conditions in Arizona, and makes recommendations about the position of the drought boundaries for Arizona. The U.S. Drought Monitor is the official record of drought for Federal drought relief claims. Information used by the MTC in advising the Drought Monitor authors includes numerous drought indices, precipitation and stream flow data, and impacts data. Every Thursday, the Drought Status web page automatically updates with the latest U.S. Drought Monitor map of Arizona.

Short-term Drought Conditions

Monthly Drought Status Summary: September 2023

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 temperatures.

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 state). Moderate (D1) and Severe (D2) short-term drought advanced in central, southern, and eastern counties (45% of state). Abnormally Dry (D0) conditions (41% of state) largely remained in western and northern counties, with areas of no drought (8% of state) continuing in portions of central Coconino, northwestern Mohave, and southern Yuma counties.

El Nino conditions persist across the tropical Pacific with better than a 95% chance of a moderate to strong episode lasting into spring 2024. There is a slight tilt in odds that winter 2023-24 will end up wetter than normal across the southern half of Arizona.

This report was prepared by the Arizona Drought Monitoring Technical Committee on September 6, 2022. Arizona's short-term drought status map is updated during the first week of each month.

Long-term Drought Conditions

Quarterly Drought Status Update: JULY-SEPTEMBER 2023

A record-breaking July and late-starting monsoon season 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 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.

El Nino conditions persist across the tropical Pacific with better than a 95% chance of a moderate to strong episode lasting into spring 2024. There is a slight tilt in odds that winter 2023-24 will end up wetter than normal across the southern half of Arizona.

This report was prepared by the Arizona Drought Monitoring Technical Committee, October 10, 2023. Arizona's long-term drought status map is updated quarterly and the next update in early December, it will reflect the conditions of  October, November, and December. The long-term drought status for each watershed is determined by comparing the precipitation and streamflow percentiles for the past 24, 36, 48 and 60 months to a 40-year historical record.