Drought in Central Highlands, New Mexico

Severe drought persisted across much of the zone.

The state mostly saw above average precipitation, outside of slightly below average precipitation across the southwest mountains, during the month of June as monsoon moisture moved into the state. Meanwhile, temperatures were slightly to well above average along and west of the central mountain chain, with below average temperatures across eastern New Mexico. As a result, this resulted in the removal of extreme drought across the Sacramento Mountains and adjacent highlands and plains in eastern Lincoln and Chaves County, and the reduction of extreme drought across north central New Mexico, middle Rio Grande Valley, and west central New Mexico. Exceptional drought continued across far southern Catron County due to below average precipitation and well above average temperatures across the southwest mountains and San Francisco River Valley.