New Mexico, 1996

Drought in New Mexico, May 1 to 31, 1996

May 1 to 31, 1996 · NWS ABQ · 18 events in 18 counties and zones

A statewide drought intensified throughout an unusually hot month with most stations reporting little or no significant rainfall. By the end of May severe to extreme drought was indicated by the Palmer Drought Severity Index in all 8 New Mexico climatic divisions.

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
18

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS ABQ wrote it up.

A statewide drought intensified throughout an unusually hot month with most stations reporting little or no significant rainfall. By the end of May severe to extreme drought was indicated by the Palmer Drought Severity Index in all 8 New Mexico climatic divisions. Many stations were reporting the driest winter and spring (DEC-MAY) in over 100 years. Indirect economic costs have reached 50 to 100 million dollars. Ranchers have suffered from lack of grazing and stock water and forced liquidation of herds, while spring crop plantings withered away. Some cities have begun extra water conservation, while the tender dry conditions in the national forests have brought bans on the use of open flames. Over 70 percent of the Lincoln National Forest was closed to public use.

Event by event

18 drought. Local standard time, as filed.

Drought, Northwest Plateau

When
May 1, 12:00 AM MST to May 31, 11:59 PM MST
Where
Northwest Plateau forecast zone

Drought, Northwest Mountains Including Jemez

When
May 1, 12:00 AM MST to May 31, 11:59 PM MST
Where
Northwest Mountains Including Jemez forecast zone

Drought, Upper Rio Grande Valley

When
May 1, 12:00 AM MST to May 31, 11:59 PM MST
Where
Upper Rio Grande Valley forecast zone

Drought, Sangre de Cristo Mountains

When
May 1, 12:00 AM MST to May 31, 11:59 PM MST
Where
Sangre de Cristo Mountains forecast zone

Drought, Northeast Highlands

When
May 1, 12:00 AM MST to May 31, 11:59 PM MST
Where
Northeast Highlands forecast zone

Drought, Harding

When
May 1, 12:00 AM MST to May 31, 11:59 PM MST
Where
Harding forecast zone

Drought, Far Northeast Plains

When
May 1, 12:00 AM MST to May 31, 11:59 PM MST
Where
Far Northeast Plains forecast zone

Drought, Westcentral Mountains

When
May 1, 12:00 AM MST to May 31, 11:59 PM MST
Where
Westcentral Mountains forecast zone

Drought, Middle Rio Grande Valley

When
May 1, 12:00 AM MST to May 31, 11:59 PM MST
Where
Middle Rio Grande Valley forecast zone

Drought, Sandia/Manzano Mountains

When
May 1, 12:00 AM MST to May 31, 11:59 PM MST
Where
Sandia/Manzano Mountains forecast zone

Drought, Central High Plains/Estancia Valley County

When
May 1, 12:00 AM MST to May 31, 11:59 PM MST
Where
Central High Plains/Estancia Valley County forecast zone

Drought, Conchas Lake/Guadalupe

When
May 1, 12:00 AM MST to May 31, 11:59 PM MST
Where
Conchas Lake/Guadalupe forecast zone

Drought, Quay

When
May 1, 12:00 AM MST to May 31, 11:59 PM MST
Where
Quay forecast zone

Drought, Southwest Mountains/Upper Gila Region

When
May 1, 12:00 AM MST to May 31, 11:59 PM MST
Where
Southwest Mountains/Upper Gila Region forecast zone

Drought, Lower Rio Grande Valley

When
May 1, 12:00 AM MST to May 31, 11:59 PM MST
Where
Lower Rio Grande Valley forecast zone

Drought, Lincoln County High Plains/Hondo Valley

When
May 1, 12:00 AM MST to May 31, 11:59 PM MST
Where
Lincoln County High Plains/Hondo Valley forecast zone

Drought, Capitan/Northern Sacramento Mountains

When
May 1, 12:00 AM MST to May 31, 11:59 PM MST
Where
Capitan/Northern Sacramento Mountains forecast zone

Drought, Guadalupe Mountains of Chaves County

When
May 1, 12:00 AM MST to May 31, 11:59 PM MST
Where
Guadalupe Mountains of Chaves County forecast zone

What these are

Drought
A drought reaching severe (D2) or worse on the US Drought Monitor, or with notable impacts.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in New Mexico in 1996Every state in 1996This day in weather historyWarnings in New Mexico, May 1996

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5551861, 5551862, 5551863, 5551864, 5551865, 5551866, 5551867, 5551868, 5551869, 5551870, 5551871, 5551872, 5551873, 5551874, 5551875, 5551876, 5551877, 5551878.