Drought in South Central Pinal County, Arizona

The exceptional (D4) and extreme (D3) drought categories continued across a large part of southeast Arizona during May, with the exception of western Pima County. Rain for the month totaled less than 0.10 inch in most areas with spotty amounts of 0.25 to 0.50 inch on May 20-21. Showers on May 14 only produced light rain, but gusty winds produced blowing dust from Willcox to San Simon. Soil moisture readings remained below the 5th percentile ranking, except around the 10th percentile ranking in Greenlee and southeast Graham counties. Levels at San Carlos Reservoir remained near zero percent of capacity. At least two dozen small wild land fires occurred during the month, one of which, the Zacattack fire, caused the evacuation of 30 homes in Old Bisbee's Brewery Gulch, but no damage. Three wildfires--Sycamore Canyon, Warren and Warsaw--grew to around or over 1000 acres.