Arizona, 2022Drought in Arizona, June 1 to 30, 2022
June 1 to 30, 2022 · NWS TWC · 5 events in 5 counties and zones
Extreme drought (D3) category continued across eastern Santa Cruz and southern Cochise counties including the Huachuca and Mule Mountains through June. Two wildfires ignited in dry fuels in the middle of the month.
Every event with a place to put it; 5 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
- Tornadoes
- Tropical storms and surge
- Floods
- Wind
- Hail
- Winter weather
- Heat and drought
- Cold
- Fire, smoke and dust
- Marine and coastal
- Other
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- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- None recorded
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 5
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.
Extreme drought (D3) category continued across eastern Santa Cruz and southern Cochise counties including the Huachuca and Mule Mountains through June. Two wildfires ignited in dry fuels in the middle of the month. The Raspberry fire in the Chiricahua Mountains and the Tonto Canyon fire in western Santa Cruz County were both extinguished later in the month, in part due to two to three inches of rainfall. The late June rain was enough to reduce both areas, along with the Dragoon Mountains, to the severe drought (D2) category toward the end of June. Soil moisture readings improved to just above the 30th percentile across the area.
What forecasters said that day
The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.
NWS Tucson, AZ wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at May 31, 3:20 PM MST, 8 hours 40 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, May 31, 3:20 PM MST, 8 hours 40 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Tucson AZ
320 PM MST Tue May 31 2022
.SYNOPSIS...Dry and becoming hotter this week with temperatures
peaking Thursday and Friday. Lighter winds can be expected the rest
of the week. However, stronger winds will return this weekend. There
remains a slight risk of a mostly dry thunderstorm or two near the
New Mexico border Thursday and Friday afternoons.
&&
.DISCUSSION...High temperatures through this upcoming weekend to
start out June will vary each day from 1 to 4 degrees above
normal. The latest models have backed off a bit on the westward
push of moisture near the AZ/NM border for Thursday. The very
slight chance of dry t-storms along the AZ/NM border on Friday is
all dependent on how t-storms evolve across southern New Mexico
and any outflow boundaries that are sent toward the AZ/NM border.
Otherwise dry to start of June. Early indications are for the area
to get hotter the middle of next week with increased heat risk.
&&
.AVIATION...Valid through 02/00Z.
SKC. SFC wind thru 01/03z and then again after 01/18z, SWLY/WLY
at 8-12 kts with ocnl gusts to 22 kts. At other times, wind
terrain driven and less than 10 kts. Aviation discussion not
updated for TAF amendments.u
&&
.FIRE WEATHER...Typical afternoon gustiness through Thursday.
Daytime temperatures for the next week will generally be several
degrees above normal. A westward push of moisture later in the
week may result in a thunderstorm or two near the New Mexico
border on Friday. Then southwesterly winds will pick up again
Saturday afternoon for a risk of critical fire weather conditions
mainly eastern districts.
&&
.CLIMATE...May and Spring rankings for Tucson.
May: 6th warmest with no rain.
Spring: 5th warmest and 11th driest.
Climate report is posted on our website.
&&
.TWC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...None.
&&
Visit us on Facebook...Twitter...YouTube...and at weather.gov/Tucson
Drought, Chiricahua Mountains
- When
- June 1, 12:00 AM MST to June 28, 5:00 AM MST
- Where
- Chiricahua Mountains forecast zone
- Reported by
- Drought Monitor
- Coordinates
- 31.880, -109.751 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Extreme drought (D3) category continued across eastern Santa Cruz and southern Cochise counties including the Huachuca and Mule Mountains through June. Two wildfires ignited in dry fuels in the middle of the month. The Raspberry fire in the Chiricahua Mountains and the Tonto Canyon fire in western Santa Cruz County were both extinguished later in the month, in part due to two to three inches of rainfall. The late June rain was enough to reduce both areas, along with the Dragoon Mountains, to the severe drought (D2) category toward the end of June. Soil moisture readings improved to just above the 30th percentile across the area.
Drought, Upper Santa Cruz River and Altar Valleys
- When
- June 1, 12:00 AM MST to June 30, 11:59 PM MST
- Where
- Upper Santa Cruz River and Altar Valleys forecast zone
- Reported by
- Drought Monitor
- Coordinates
- 31.812, -111.318 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Extreme drought (D3) category continued across eastern Santa Cruz and southern Cochise counties including the Huachuca and Mule Mountains through June. Two wildfires ignited in dry fuels in the middle of the month. The Raspberry fire in the Chiricahua Mountains and the Tonto Canyon fire in western Santa Cruz County were both extinguished later in the month, in part due to two to three inches of rainfall. The late June rain was enough to reduce both areas, along with the Dragoon Mountains, to the severe drought (D2) category toward the end of June. Soil moisture readings improved to just above the 30th percentile across the area.
Drought, Upper San Pedro River Valley
- When
- June 1, 12:00 AM MST to June 30, 11:59 PM MST
- Where
- Upper San Pedro River Valley forecast zone
- Reported by
- Drought Monitor
- Coordinates
- 32.109, -110.569 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Extreme drought (D3) category continued across eastern Santa Cruz and southern Cochise counties including the Huachuca and Mule Mountains through June. Two wildfires ignited in dry fuels in the middle of the month. The Raspberry fire in the Chiricahua Mountains and the Tonto Canyon fire in western Santa Cruz County were both extinguished later in the month, in part due to two to three inches of rainfall. The late June rain was enough to reduce both areas, along with the Dragoon Mountains, to the severe drought (D2) category toward the end of June. Soil moisture readings improved to just above the 30th percentile across the area.
Drought, Eastern Cochise County Below 5000 Feet
- When
- June 1, 12:00 AM MST to June 30, 11:59 PM MST
- Where
- Eastern Cochise County Below 5000 Feet forecast zone
- Reported by
- Drought Monitor
- Coordinates
- 31.880, -109.751 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Extreme drought (D3) category continued across eastern Santa Cruz and southern Cochise counties including the Huachuca and Mule Mountains through June. Two wildfires ignited in dry fuels in the middle of the month. The Raspberry fire in the Chiricahua Mountains and the Tonto Canyon fire in western Santa Cruz County were both extinguished later in the month, in part due to two to three inches of rainfall. The late June rain was enough to reduce both areas, along with the Dragoon Mountains, to the severe drought (D2) category toward the end of June. Soil moisture readings improved to just above the 30th percentile across the area.
Drought, Dragoon/Mule/Huachuca and Santa Rita Mountains
- When
- June 1, 12:00 AM MST to June 30, 11:59 PM MST
- Where
- Dragoon/Mule/Huachuca and Santa Rita Mountains forecast zone
- Reported by
- Drought Monitor
- Coordinates
- 31.834, -110.796 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Extreme drought (D3) category continued across eastern Santa Cruz and southern Cochise counties including the Huachuca and Mule Mountains through June. Two wildfires ignited in dry fuels in the middle of the month. The Raspberry fire in the Chiricahua Mountains and the Tonto Canyon fire in western Santa Cruz County were both extinguished later in the month, in part due to two to three inches of rainfall. The late June rain was enough to reduce both areas, along with the Dragoon Mountains, to the severe drought (D2) category toward the end of June. Soil moisture readings improved to just above the 30th percentile across the area.
- 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.
- Flash Flooding and Flooding in Texas, June 1 to 3, 20222 deaths · 2 injured · $335,000 · 65 kt wind · 7 events
- Drought in South Dakota, June 1 to 30, 2022$101 million · 12 events
- Excessive Heat in Colorado, June 1, 20221 death · 1 event
- Drought in Iowa, June 1 to 30, 2022$7.6 million · 2 events
- Drought in Nebraska, June 1 to 30, 2022$904,000 · 2 events
- Flooding in South Dakota, June 1 to 30, 2022$408,000 · 6 events
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Ohio, June 1, 2022$84,000 · 1.5 in hail · 35 events
- Damaging Winds in Virginia, June 1, 2022$161,000 · 60 kt wind · 5 events
- Damaging Winds in Michigan, June 1, 2022$100,000 · 59 kt wind · 7 events
- Damaging Wind in North Carolina, June 1, 2022$100,000 · 87 kt wind · 1 event
- Flash Flooding and Flood in Kansas, June 1, 2022$200 · 46 events
- Drought in New Mexico, June 1 to 30, 202241 events
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: 1038943, 1038944, 1038953, 1038954, 1038955.