Drought
Above normalNew Mexico drought
Share of state area in drought (D1-D4) or worse, week over week
Data through Sep 29, 2026 · source last checked Oct 1, 2026 · page revised Oct 1, 2026
Cite
- % in drought
About this data
- Source
- US Drought Monitor (National Drought Mitigation Center, USDA, NOAA)
- Series
- Share of area in moderate drought (D1) or worse
- Geography
- New Mexico
- Unit
- %
- Calculation
- Conditions as of the prior Tuesday
- Last observation
- Sep 29, 2026
- Update frequency
- Weekly, released Thursdays
Drought eased week over week (now 90%).
Drought coverage eased to 90% in the past week, down 8 percentage points. The state sits 13 percentage points above the 5-year median of 77%. Year over year, coverage is up 21 percentage points.
| Period | Current | Prior | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Week over week | 90% | 97% | -8 pts |
| Month over month | 90% | 97% | -8 pts |
| Year over year | 90% | 69% | +21 pts |
| vs 5-yr median | 90% | 77% | +13 pts |
| Category | Share of area in this category | At this level or worse |
|---|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry | 8.9% | 98.5% |
| D1 moderate drought | 40.3% | 89.6% |
| D2 severe drought | 33.4% | 49.3% |
| D3 extreme drought | 16% | 16% |
| D4 exceptional drought | 0% | 0% |
| County | Area in drought (D1-D4) | Since last week | Most severe category | Weeks in drought |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Doña Ana County | 29.5% | -9.1 pts | D1 moderate drought | 167 |
Each county is read from the same weekly US Drought Monitor map, inside the county line. Weeks in drought counts the weekly maps in a row, up to the latest, that show any of the county in D1 or worse.
Previous weeks
Week of Sep 22, 2026
Drought coverage held steady this week at 97% of New Mexico's area, but the state is 28 percentage points worse than a year ago and 18 points above its 5-year median. Month over month, coverage rose 2 points from 96%.
Week of Sep 8, 2026
New Mexico drought held steady at 97% of the state in moderate drought or worse for the week through September 8. Over the month, drought worsened by 3 points, and year over year it has risen 28 points from 69%. At 97%, the state sits 21 points above its 5-year median.
Week of Sep 1, 2026
Drought in New Mexico worsened to 97% of state area in D1-D4 conditions, up 2 percentage points on the week. Month over month the rise was 4 points from 93%, and year over year, 25 points from 72%. The state sits 21 points above its 5-year median of 76%.
Week of Aug 25, 2026
New Mexico drought coverage reached 96% of state area as of 2026-08-25, per the US Drought Monitor. Year over year, coverage has worsened 24 percentage points from 72%. The state sits 20 percentage points above its 5-year median.
New Mexico drought conditions
New Mexico has 89.6% of its area in drought (D1 or worse) on the US Drought Monitor map dated Sep 29, 2026, and 98.5% at least abnormally dry (D0 or worse). The most severe category present is D3, extreme drought, covering 16% of the state.
Over the last 52 weekly maps the share in drought ranged from 65.3% (Feb 17, 2026) to 97.2% (Sep 15, 2026), and every one of them showed at least some drought.
The Monitor sorts land into five categories, from D0, abnormally dry and not yet drought, to D4, exceptional drought, and this page counts D1 through D4 as drought. The guide to what D0 to D4 mean explains each class, who draws the weekly map and why it lags a fast-moving storm.