Persistent SW Drought through October

The next three months look dry for the Southwest, based on the NOAA seasonal drought outlook. The combination of an erratic summer monsoon that has produced little rainfall across Arizona and New Mexico so far and the development of La Niña conditions in the tropical Pacific will likely lead to persistent and intensified drought in northeastern Arizona and northwestern New Mexico from August to October. Much of Arizona is also likely to develop drought conditions. Further north, drought is expected to persist and intensify across western Nevada, south-central Oregon, and northeastern California.