Drought Information Statement for Northern Arizona 
Valid February 17, 2024
Issued By: WFO Flagstaff, AZ
Contact Information: nws.flagstaff@noaa.gov
This is the final update for this drought episode as conditions have improved to D2 or better.  
Please see all currently available products at https://drought.gov/drought-information-statements.
Please visit https://www.weather.gov/fgz/Drought for previous statements. 

Drought intensity and Extent
D2 (Severe Drought): Southern Navajo, southern Apache, eastern Gila counties. 
D1 (Moderate Drought): Yavapai, southern and  western Coconino, western Gila, central Navajo and Apache counties.
D0: (Abnormally Dry): Much of Coconino, northern Navajo, northern Apache counties.

Precipitation
Water Year precipitation (since Oct 1) has been 70-90% of normal for most of northern Arizona, with much of this precipitation falling in the past 30 days.  
Portions of northeast Arizona including the Chuska Mountain, and western Gila County have received above normal precipitation for the water year.

Temperature
Yavapai and Gila County were slightly cooler than normal over the past 30 days.
The remainder of northern Arizona experienced near to slightly above normal temperatures.  

Summary of Impacts
Hydrologic Impacts 
Streamflow has improved to near normal for most of northern Arizona. 

Agricultural Impacts
Soil moisture has greatly improved over the past 30-60 days, with most of northern Arizona in the normal range.

Fire Hazard Impacts
Fire danger is low in northern Arizona due to recent precipitation. 

Mitigation Actions
Please refer to your municipality and/or water provider for mitigation information.

Hydrologic Conditions and Impacts
Streamflow over much of northern Arizona has improved greatly over the past 30 days due to heavy precipitation.
Areas of northeast Arizona experiencing below normal streamflow are likely to see improvements as the snowpack begins to melt. 

Agricultural Impacts
Moderate to heavy precipitation over the past 30 days has resulted in major improvements in soil moisture. 
Only a small area of northwest Yavapai and western Coconino County remains in the 20-30th percentile.

Long-Range Outlooks
The latest monthly and seasonal outlooks can be found on the CPC homepage

The latest outlooks for March through May from the Climate Prediction Center indicate equal chances for below, near, and above normal temperatures and precipitation.

Drought Outlook
The latest monthly and seasonal outlooks can be found on the CPC homepage
Drought conditions are forecast to persist over much of the state through mid May.