A monsoon approaches the intersection of Broadway and Treat Ave. in Tucson, Ariz., on Thursday, July 18, 2024.
With a little over a month left of the 2024 monsoon, rainfall totals are exceeding expectations and providing much-needed relief to dry areas.
Meteorologist Gary Zell with the National Weather Service in Tucson said as of Aug. 13, all of Pima and Santa Cruz counties, as well as Southeastern Pinal county, are no longer listed as being under drought conditions.
“Most of our area has improved greatly on the drought monitor from the beginning of the year,” he said. “That includes the wintertime precipitation, because we had good wintertime precipitation, and above normal for most of the monsoon for most of our area.”
Tucson has received about 5.5 inches of rain, and this far into the monsoon season, that’s more than two inches above normal.
Here's a look at rainfall totals so far this Monsoon. Tucson is above normal with Sierra Vista at normal and Safford and Nogales below normal. Expect dry conditions today with storm chances returning Friday into the weekend. #azwx pic.twitter.com/yTno7GtHxw
— NWS Tucson (@NWSTucson) August 15, 2024
Other parts of Southern Arizona remain dry, but so far the wet year has brought areas near the Chiricahuas and southern border up from extreme drought to severe drought classification, Zell said.
Zell said climate models were leaning towards a below average season, with less than a 30 percent chance of an above average monsoon this year.
The monsoon in Arizona officially ends Sept. 30.
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