Drought — Chuska Mountains, New Mexico

2020-01-01 to 2020-01-31 · Chuska Mountains, New Mexico

Event narrative

Severe drought conditions from December 2019 improved to moderate drought in January 2020.

Wider weather episode

Moderate to severe drought conditions across portions of western and northern New Mexico at the end of December 2019 continued in January 2020. While severe drought conditions improved over the northern mountains of New Mexico, abnormally dry to moderate drought conditions developed across east-central NM. Moderate to severe drought conditions worsened to about 32 percent of the state of which 12 percent across northwestern and northeastern NM was deemed as severe drought. January 2020 saw an active pattern impact much of NM, and the northern mountains continued to build an above normal snowpack. However, only light to moderate precipitation amounts in lower elevations resulted in a month that was drier than normal. Precipitation amounts across western New Mexico during January ranged from one half inch to one inch. Central NM as well as the northwest corner of the state generally received half an inch of precipitation while areas across the northern high terrain received amounts near to above an inch. Eastern NM received the least amount of precipitation with amounts generally less than half an inch.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 867553. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.