Local News

Actions

Drought-stricken West holds out for more than just dry snow

Dry New Mexico
Posted at 1:09 PM, Feb 21, 2021
and last updated 2021-06-08 16:27:38-04

BERNALILLO, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico is getting some much-needed snow but don't count on it to end the drought.

Every square mile of the arid state is dealing with some level of dryness, with more than half locked in the worst category — exceptional drought.

And much of the West is no better off, with parts of Arizona, Utah, and Nevada among the hardest hit.

The latest storms to cross New Mexico came with frigid temperatures. Experts say the colder the air, the less moisture in the snow.

That means less water to recharge the soil and less that will find its way into rivers and reservoirs this spring.