Drought in Lower Chama River Valley, New Mexico

Exceptional drought conditions from December 2018 improved to extreme drought in January 2019.

Moderate to severe drought conditions across portions of western and central New Mexico at the end of December 2018 improved only slightly through January 2019. However, exceptional drought conditions over the northwestern half of the state improved significantly for January. Severe drought conditions improved to 33 percent of the state, of which around 15 percent was deemed extreme drought or worse. Exceptional drought improved to roughly 1 percent of New Mexico. Precipitation amounts for January 2019 ranged from around one half inch to three inches of parts of central and northern New Mexico. Several winter storm systems that moved across the state at the end of December 2018 and the beginning of January 2019 brought much needed snowfall to the region, especially across the northwest. Snow pack conditions continued to improve across the northern mountains.