ARIZONA, USA — Don't forget, we're dry forever. Or at least, that's the way it feels as extreme drought conditions come back like a bad rash.
We're set to wrap up the driest monsoon ever recorded but just before we could cap off that miserable milestone, the U.S. Drought Monitor announced a state of extreme drought for parts of southeast Arizona.
Greenlee, Graham, Cochise, Pima and Santa Cruz counties are currently feeling the extreme drought. Most of the Valley and parts of Gila and Pinal counties are under severe drought.
As for the rest of Arizona? Almost the entire state is abnormally dry (or worse) according to the agency.
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Monsoon 2023 officially ends on Sept. 30, but we might as well throw in the towel. As of now, we've got no more monsoon activity in the forecast. Seems like the storms that tore up Mesa and the East Valley were our last hurrah for a while.
Phoenix only got 0.15" of rain this monsoon season which is downright pitiful. It's the driest monsoon since 1924, according to the National Weather Service, and even that year got over twice as much rainfall with 0.35".
So what's being done about this? We can't control the weather yet, but cities in Arizona are taking steps to make sure residents are protected from the heat.
Phoenix and Mesa are expanding shade tree programs to break up their respective urban heat islands and provide cover for residents. A wet winter and improved conservation efforts have helped the Colorado River enough that the federal government eased off on water-use cuts for neighboring states.
The drought may suck, but we're not up the creek without a paddle yet -- more specifically, there's still a creek to paddle up. Just be aware of the increased fire risks that come with drought conditions, and try to save water wherever you can.
HEAT BEAT
Here are several videos about Arizona's extreme heat and how you can stay safe during the state's summer months.