outlook+water: La Niña persists, drought expands, and the next three months favor hot and dry

Early projections suggest an active Atlantic hurricane season. Those epic rains in the valley did nothing for the Rio Grande reservoirs. Drought conditions (D1–D4) increased to 68% of the state from 49% of the state four weeks ago; statewide reservoir storage stayed the same at 76% full, about 8 percentage points below normal for this time of year. We remain in La Niña conditions with a 62% chance of a return of neutral conditions in the June-July-August season. Drought is expected to remain and expand over the next three months leaving only the easternmost part of the state drought-free.