Exceptional Drought in Parts of Seven States in Southwest

news image
Special Stories
23 Apr 2018 10:55 AM
From NOAA by Rebecca Lindsey The changing of the seasons from winter to spring has brought an unwelcome worsening of drought across the U.S. Southwest and Southern Plains. The animation below shows drought conditions becoming more intense and widespread between the start of the animation on January 9 and the final frame on April 17. At the start of the year, only a few small areas of extreme drought existed in the contiguous United States, the largest of them in Oklahoma and South Dakota. As the season advanced, extreme drought conditions expanded from Oklahoma into Texas and Kansas, with detached pockets also appearing in Arizona and New Mexico by mid-February. By mid-March, drought in the panhandle of Oklahoma had reached “exceptional” status, and severe drought had pushed northward from Arizona and New Mexico into Utah and Colorado. As of mid-April, parts of seven Southwest states had progressed into exceptional drought. Drought impacts are piling up. Endangered fish in the Rio Grande had to be rescued and relocated to wetter stretches as parts of the river in New Mexico dried up. In Arizona and New Mexico, birds and elk have been observed coming to stock ponds and yards for water and food as natural sources of surface water and vegetation become scarce. [Map of drought impacts from the National Drought Mitigation Center] In Colorado, livestock operators are hauling water for cows and sheep as stock ponds and streams dry up, and farmers along the Middle Rio Grande in New Mexico have been told to expect half their normal irrigation allotment. Fire danger is extremely high for so early in the season, and burn bans are in place across many counties and forest service districts in multiple states. Edited for WeatherNation by Meteorologist Mace Michaels
All Weather News
More
A New Area to Watch in the Atlantic

A New Area to Watch in the Atlantic

As we near the peak of the 2025 Atlantic hurr

28 Aug 2025 11:00 AM
Plains & Gulf Coast Face Flood Threat

Plains & Gulf Coast Face Flood Threat

A pair of low pressure systems tracking south

28 Aug 2025 10:05 AM
Moisture From Juliette Arrives Thursday-Friday

Moisture From Juliette Arrives Thursday-Friday

Residual moisture from Tropical Storm Juliett

28 Aug 2025 10:00 AM
Northwest: Fire Danger and Flooding

Northwest: Fire Danger and Flooding

Conditions in the Northwest have been hot and

28 Aug 2025 1:50 AM
More Records Fall Behind Impressive Front

More Records Fall Behind Impressive Front

A strong Summer cold front knifed its way thr

27 Aug 2025 10:00 PM
Monsoon Moisture Surges, Flood Risk From California to Colorado

Monsoon Moisture Surges, Flood Risk From California to Colorado

A surge of monsoon moisture is moving across

27 Aug 2025 5:55 PM
Heat Alerts Continue for the Northwest

Heat Alerts Continue for the Northwest

Upper-level high pressure will stay dominant

26 Aug 2025 9:35 AM