Drought in Black and White

This is a photo of a earthen cattle tank, shot April 2014.
Drought conditions have lessened across New Mexico this July & Aug 2014.

The start of the 2014 calendar year was extremely dry. January statewide precipitation was well below normal to non-exsistent with only 4% of normal! This was the driest January on record going back to 1895, with a statewide average of only 0.03 inches. February was an improvement, but still well below normal at only 27% normal precipitation. That makes the first two months of 2014 the driest on record, with only 16% of normal precipitation, and a statewide average of just 0.20 inches. March was better, but below normal, at 64% of the statewide average. For the first three months of 2014, statewide average precipitation was 34% of normal, at 0.67 inches. This was 1.32 inches below normal, the 3rd driest on record. April received 53 percent of normal. This made statewide precipitation for January through April only 41 percent of normal - the 7th driest four month start to any year. The average deficit across the state was -1.61 inches. May came in as the 'wettest' month of the year, at 89% of normal. June turned drier with a statewide average of 55% of normal. That makes 2014 at 56% of normal precipitation, a statewide deficit of 2.18 inches below normal, and the 13th driest first six months on record. Initial July rainfall totals are much better, with significant rainfall over much of the state. July will be the first month this year with above normal precipitation. This brought the yearly average statewide precipitation up to 80 percent of normal.
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