May rains break grip of drought

What a difference a rain-drenched May makes. Last year at this time, about 88 percent of New Mexico was in a severe drought or worse. Now – due primarily to a sopping May in which much of the state got rain – just 13 percent of the state is in that category. Reservoir levels are up, and no part of the state is in extreme drought. Thirty-seven percent of New Mexico is listed as being in moderate to severe drought, the first time those numbers have been that good since Dec. 10, 2010. Rainfall totals in May range from 1 to 1.5 inches in a significant portion of the state to more than 10 inches in the Clovis area. Albuquerque has received 1.86 inches of rain this month, more than four times the average rate up to this time in May. Pleasant Hill, a town 15 miles northeast of Clovis, had 3.25 inches of rain during a 25-hour period from noon Friday through 1 p.m. Saturday. Although most of the area in severe drought is in the northwestern part of the state, southwestern New Mexico has been hurting the most for rain. However, the outlook for the coming month is for above-average precipitation for all but a sliver of southwestern New Mexico...more