Drought in San Francisco River Valley, New Mexico

Severe to extreme drought conditions developed across the area during August 2020. Below normal precipitation amounts set the stage for deteriorating drought conditions.

Drought conditions across northern and central New Mexico continued to deteriorate during the month of August. Moderate to extreme drought worsened to about 95 percent of the state of which about 22 percent was deemed as extreme drought. A well below normal monsoon season continued across the state as an area of high pressure strengthened over the desert southwest. This resulted to record heat and dry conditions continuing throughout the month. Precipitation totals during the month of August were generally less than half an inch across western New Mexico with totals ranging around half an inch to near an inch in central New Mexico. Northeast New Mexico fared a little better with rain totals of about one to two inches, but this was still below normal for the area. August 2020 was one of the warmest and driest on record for New Mexico.