Drought in Valencia County, NM: 5.8 years in 10 since 2000

5.8 years in 10

Valencia County, NM: 15 of 26 full years had 13+ weeks in drought. More drought-prone than most US counties.

20002025

Drought years: 2002 (48 wk), 2003 (52 wk), 2004 (52 wk), 2006 (26 wk), 2011 (42 wk), 2012 (40 wk), 2013 (37 wk), 2014 (46 wk), 2015 (19 wk), 2018 (43 wk), 2020 (24 wk), 2021 (52 wk), 2022 (40 wk), 2023 (22 wk) and 2025 (48 wk). Not a single drought week in 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2016 and 2017.

Plan for drought as normal: shrink the lawn, go drip and natives

Drought is the normal state of things here. Most of the yard goes to natives and gravel on drip; any grass that stays is a small, tough patch.

If you are replacing turf, plant natives in fall so roots set before the Jul peak, and check your water utility for a turf-removal rebate before you dig.

Against the rest of NM

32nd most drought-prone of 33 NM counties; the NM middle is 6.9 in 10. Closest on the list: Roosevelt County (6.2 in 10) and San Miguel County (5.4 in 10). Driest in NM: Hidalgo County (8.1 in 10). Least drought: San Miguel County (5.4 in 10).

When in the year it hits

Most often in Jul (53% of weeks), then Jun (51%) and Sep (51%). Least in Dec (41%). May to September averages 51%.

43 Jan
49 Feb
50 Mar
49 Apr
51 May
51 Jun
53 Jul
49 Aug
51 Sep
44 Oct
42 Nov
41 Dec

The worst year: 2021

2021: 52 weeks in drought, peaking at D4 exceptional. Across 1,401 weekly maps: 47.7% of all weeks at D1 or worse, 32.6% at D2, 11.7% at D3, 75 weeks with some of the county in D4. Longest unbroken spell: 155 weeks, Feb 26, 2002 to Feb 8, 2005.

Lately

Last drought year: 2025, 48 weeks. 2016-2025: 6 in 10, against 5.6 in 10 for 2000-2015, about the same. So far in 2026: 44 of 44 weeks in drought, through Nov 3, 2026.