Drought in Chaves County Plains, New Mexico

Severe drought conditions persisted across the far southern border of the zone around Lake Arthur.

February 2025 was a well above normal warm and dry month across New Mexico. The western two-thirds of the state saw temperature anomalies in the warmest 10 percent on record with some spots seeing their warmest February on record. This, alongside roughly two-thirds of the state see little to no precipitation exacerbated the return of moderate and severe drought across much of the western two-thirds of NM. Extreme drought was introduced into the far southwestern corner of Catron County.