(STACKER) – Stacker collected data from the U.S. Drought Monitor to figure out which New Mexico counties have the worst droughts as of April 2023. Stacker ranked the counties by percent of the area in drought conditions.

According to the study, New Mexico is 20.6% abnormally dry, with 32.1% of the area in drought, putting the state’s drought ranking at number 13 nationally. The percentage of moderate drought is 16.5%, severe drought is 11.5%, extreme drought is 4%, and exceptional drought is 0.2%. Below are the findings for each county.

#25-20. Socorro County (tie)

  • Abnormally dry: 8.7%
  • Area in drought: 0.0%
    • Moderate drought: 0.0%
    • Severe drought: 0.0%
    • Extreme drought: 0.0%
    • Exceptional drought: 0.0%

#25-20. Santa Fe County (tie)

  • Abnormally dry: 10.9%
  • Area in drought: 0.0%
    • Moderate drought: 0.0%
    • Severe drought: 0.0%
    • Extreme drought: 0.0%
    • Exceptional drought: 0.0%

#25-20. Sierra County (tie)

  • Abnormally dry: 21.2%
  • Area in drought: 0.0%
    • Moderate drought: 0.0%
    • Severe drought: 0.0%
    • Extreme drought: 0.0%
    • Exceptional drought: 0.0%

#25-20. Luna County (tie)

  • Abnormally dry: 46.6%
  • Area in drought: 0.0%
    • Moderate drought: 0.0%
    • Severe drought: 0.0%
    • Extreme drought: 0.0%
    • Exceptional drought: 0.0%

#25-20. Bernalillo County (tie)

  • Abnormally dry: 99.9%
  • Area in drought: 0.0%
    • Moderate drought: 0.0%
    • Severe drought: 0.0%
    • Extreme drought: 0.0%
    • Exceptional drought: 0.0%

#25-20. Torrance County (tie)

  • Abnormally dry: 99.7%
  • Area in drought: 0.0%
    • Moderate drought: 0.0%
    • Severe drought: 0.0%
    • Extreme drought: 0.0%
    • Exceptional drought: 0.0%

#19. Lincoln County

  • Abnormally dry: 36.7%
  • Area in drought: 0.1%
    • Moderate drought: 0.1%
    • Severe drought: 0.0%
    • Extreme drought: 0.0%
    • Exceptional drought: 0.0%

#18. Rio Arriba County

  • Abnormally dry: 4.5%
  • Area in drought: 5.2%
    • Moderate drought: 5.2%
    • Severe drought: 0.0%
    • Extreme drought: 0.0%
    • Exceptional drought: 0.0%

#17. Sandoval County

  • Abnormally dry: 20.0%
  • Area in drought: 5.9%
    • Moderate drought: 5.6%
    • Severe drought: 0.3%
    • Extreme drought: 0.0%
    • Exceptional drought: 0.0%

#16. McKinley County

  • Abnormally dry: 20.3%
  • Area in drought: 11.8%
    • Moderate drought: 11.8%
    • Severe drought: 0.0%
    • Extreme drought: 0.0%
    • Exceptional drought: 0.0%

#15. Otero County

  • Abnormally dry: 16.8%
  • Area in drought: 14.7%
    • Moderate drought: 14.7%
    • Severe drought: 0.0%
    • Extreme drought: 0.0%
    • Exceptional drought: 0.0%

#14. San Juan County

  • Abnormally dry: 6.7%
  • Area in drought: 21.2%
    • Moderate drought: 15.7%
    • Severe drought: 5.5%
    • Extreme drought: 0.0%
    • Exceptional drought: 0.0%

#13. Guadalupe County

  • Abnormally dry: 63.9%
  • Area in drought: 36.1%
    • Moderate drought: 36.1%
    • Severe drought: 0.0%
    • Extreme drought: 0.0%
    • Exceptional drought: 0.0%

#12. DeBaca County

  • Abnormally dry: 58.9%
  • Area in drought: 41.1%
    • Moderate drought: 41.1%
    • Severe drought: 0.0%
    • Extreme drought: 0.0%
    • Exceptional drought: 0.0%

#11. San Miguel County

  • Abnormally dry: 23.2%
  • Area in drought: 63.2%
    • Moderate drought: 63.2%
    • Severe drought: 0.0%
    • Extreme drought: 0.0%
    • Exceptional drought: 0.0%

#10. Colfax County

  • Abnormally dry: 18.7%
  • Area in drought: 74.0%
    • Moderate drought: 34.9%
    • Severe drought: 34.6%
    • Extreme drought: 4.5%
    • Exceptional drought: 0.0%

#9. Mora County

  • Abnormally dry: 17.5%
  • Area in drought: 74.3%
    • Moderate drought: 62.1%
    • Severe drought: 12.3%
    • Extreme drought: 0.0%
    • Exceptional drought: 0.0%

#8. Chavez County

  • Abnormally dry: 12.1%
  • Area in drought: 87.9%
    • Moderate drought: 29.8%
    • Severe drought: 49.5%
    • Extreme drought: 8.6%
    • Exceptional drought: 0.0%

#7. Eddy County

  • Abnormally dry: 3.0%
  • Area in drought: 97.0%
    • Moderate drought: 85.2%
    • Severe drought: 11.8%
    • Extreme drought: 0.0%
    • Exceptional drought: 0.0%

#6. Lea County

  • Abnormally dry: 0.2%
  • Area in drought: 99.8%
    • Moderate drought: 22.7%
    • Severe drought: 48.2%
    • Extreme drought: 28.9%
    • Exceptional drought: 0.0%

#5-1. Roosevelt County (tie)

  • Abnormally dry: 0.0%
  • Area in drought: 100.0%
    • Moderate drought: 10.1%
    • Severe drought: 86.1%
    • Extreme drought: 3.8%
    • Exceptional drought: 0.0%

#5-1. Union County (tie)

  • Abnormally dry: 0.0%
  • Area in drought: 100.0%
    • Moderate drought: 2.4%
    • Severe drought: 29.0%
    • Extreme drought: 61.9%
    • Exceptional drought: 6.7%

#5-1. Harding County (tie)

  • Abnormally dry: 0.0%
  • Area in drought: 100.0%
    • Moderate drought: 23.7%
    • Severe drought: 74.3%
    • Extreme drought: 2.0%
    • Exceptional drought: 0.0%

#5-1. Curry County (tie)

  • Abnormally dry: 0.0%
  • Area in drought: 100.0%
    • Moderate drought: 6.3%
    • Severe drought: 69.3%
    • Extreme drought: 24.5%
    • Exceptional drought: 0.0%

#5-1. Quay County (tie)

  • Abnormally dry: 0.0%
  • Area in drought: 100.0%
    • Moderate drought: 73.8%
    • Severe drought: 25.4%
    • Extreme drought: 0.8%
    • Exceptional drought: 0.0%