Arizona, 2024Drought in Arizona, March 1 to 31, 2024
March 1 to 31, 2024 · NWS TWC · 3 events in 3 counties and zones
The extreme (D3) drought category continued across far southern and eastern sections of southeast Arizona during March. The area near the New Mexico line encompassed southern Greenlee, southeast Graham and eastern Cochise counties, including the Chiricahua Mountains.
Every event with a place to put it; 3 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
- 3
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.
The extreme (D3) drought category continued across far southern and eastern sections of southeast Arizona during March. The area near the New Mexico line encompassed southern Greenlee, southeast Graham and eastern Cochise counties, including the Chiricahua Mountains.
While rain occurred on numerous occasions in March, with above normal rain for most of southeast Arizona, lesser rainfall occurred in the area of extreme drought near the New Mexico border. February monthly totals in the areas of extreme drought ranged from 0.5 to 2.0, with the highest amounts in the Chiricahua mountains. These amounts were generally 25 to 125 percent of normal. Soil moisture readings were in the 30th to 70th percentile ranking in most areas through March.
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 Feb 29, 2:58 PM MST, 9 hours 2 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Feb 29, 2:58 PM MST, 9 hours 2 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Tucson AZ
258 PM MST Thu Feb 29 2024
.SYNOPSIS...Dry and mild conditions with a slight warming trend
over the next few days. A weather system will move through the
Great Basin over the weekend resulting in breezy conditions across
the area Saturday and Sunday and temperatures cooling to near
normal for the start of the work week.
&&
.DISCUSSION...A very quiet weather pattern has setup for Southeast
Arizona with dry and mild conditions expected over the next week.
In fact, It's the kind of weather that would make a frog leap
into March. What does that mean exactly? I'm not quite sure...but
I'm guessing its expressing hoppiness that comes around every four
years.
In any event, the upper-low that brought about the valley rain
showers and high-elevation snow showers to the area has pushed
well east of the area and is replaced with a shortwave ridge which
is responsible for the beautiful day today with temperatures a
few degrees below normal. Over the next few days and into next
week, expect to see a mean trough develop across the Pacific
Northwest. With Arizona on the far southern periphery of this
feature, we will remain mild and dry. However, individual
shortwaves rotating around the upper trough will bring about some
breeziness Saturday and Sunday with another wave moving through
Wednesday. Although a lot of uncertainty in the pattern, a few of
the ensemble members are trying to track a stronger upper low into
the Desert Southwest the end of next week and into next weekend.
Although the upper pattern would seem reasonable for this to
occur, still a lot of uncertainty at this point. So for now, leap
into March with a weather pattern that brings about beautiful
weather for Southeast Arizona.
&&
.AVIATION...Valid through 02/00Z. SCT clouds at 5-7k feet AGL
gradually clearing from west to east early this evening...then
SKC. SFC winds WLY/NWLY under 12 kts this afternoon becoming
light and VRBL again this evening. Aviation discussion not updated
for TAF amendments.
&&
.FIRE WEATHER...Dry and mild with lower humidities the next week.
Increased breeziness is expected Saturday, Sunday and again
the middle of next week that may result in localized elevated
fire weather concerns. However, with mild temperatures and recent
moisture, only the finer fuel types will be of concern.
&&
.TWC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...None.
&&
Visit us on Facebook...Twitter...YouTube...and at weather.gov/Tucson
Drought, Eastern Cochise County Below 5000 Feet
- When
- March 1, 12:00 AM MST to March 31, 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)
The extreme (D3) drought category continued across far southern and eastern sections of southeast Arizona during March. The area near the New Mexico line encompassed southern Greenlee, southeast Graham and eastern Cochise counties, including the Chiricahua Mountains.
While rain occurred on numerous occasions in March, with above normal rain for most of southeast Arizona, lesser rainfall occurred in the area of extreme drought near the New Mexico border. February monthly totals in the areas of extreme drought ranged from 0.5 to 2.0, with the highest amounts in the Chiricahua mountains. These amounts were generally 25 to 125 percent of normal. Soil moisture readings were in the 30th to 70th percentile ranking in most areas through March.
Drought, Upper Gila River and Aravaipa Valleys
- When
- March 1, 12:00 AM MST to March 31, 11:59 PM MST
- Where
- Upper Gila River and Aravaipa Valleys forecast zone
- Reported by
- Drought Monitor
- Coordinates
- 33.074, -109.563 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
The extreme (D3) drought category continued across far southern and eastern sections of southeast Arizona during March. The area near the New Mexico line encompassed southern Greenlee, southeast Graham and eastern Cochise counties, including the Chiricahua Mountains.
While rain occurred on numerous occasions in March, with above normal rain for most of southeast Arizona, lesser rainfall occurred in the area of extreme drought near the New Mexico border. February monthly totals in the areas of extreme drought ranged from 0.5 to 2.0, with the highest amounts in the Chiricahua mountains. These amounts were generally 25 to 125 percent of normal. Soil moisture readings were in the 30th to 70th percentile ranking in most areas through March.
Drought, Chiricahua Mountains
- When
- March 1, 12:00 AM MST to March 31, 11:59 PM MST
- Where
- Chiricahua Mountains forecast zone
- Reported by
- Drought Monitor
- Coordinates
- 31.880, -109.751 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
The extreme (D3) drought category continued across far southern and eastern sections of southeast Arizona during March. The area near the New Mexico line encompassed southern Greenlee, southeast Graham and eastern Cochise counties, including the Chiricahua Mountains.
While rain occurred on numerous occasions in March, with above normal rain for most of southeast Arizona, lesser rainfall occurred in the area of extreme drought near the New Mexico border. February monthly totals in the areas of extreme drought ranged from 0.5 to 2.0, with the highest amounts in the Chiricahua mountains. These amounts were generally 25 to 125 percent of normal. Soil moisture readings were in the 30th to 70th percentile ranking in most areas through March.
- 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.
- Avalanche in Idaho, March 1, 20241 death · 1 injured · 1 event
- Winter Storm and Debris Flow in California, March 1 to 5, 2024$144,000 · 66 kt wind · 96 events
- Wildfire in Oklahoma, March 1 to 9, 2024$1.3 million · 3 events
- Winter Storm and Heavy Snow in Idaho, March 1 to 4, 2024$323,000 · 13 events
- Tornado and Heavy Snow in California, March 1 to 4, 2024$50,000 · EF0 · 44 events
- Wildfire in Wyoming, March 1, 2024$250,000 · 1 event
- Winter Storm and Heavy Snow in Utah, March 1 to 4, 2024$54,000 · 78 kt wind · 33 events
- High Wind in Nevada, March 1 to 3, 2024$110,000 · 76 kt wind · 11 events
- High Wind in Colorado, March 1 to 2, 2024$87,000 · 72 kt wind · 6 events
- Flooding and Damaging Winds in California, March 1 to 2, 20244 injured · $70 · 65 kt wind · 10 events
- Heavy Snow and High Wind in California, March 1 to 3, 2024$50,000 · 76 kt wind · 6 events
- Drought in New Mexico, March 1 to 31, 202429 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: 1162498, 1162499, 1162500.