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No Relief From Ongoing Drought In Southwest

A bull in a dry patch of eastern New Mexico, one of the places hit hardest by the ongoing drought.
Mónica Ortiz Uribe
A bull in a dry patch of eastern New Mexico, one of the places hit hardest by the ongoing drought.

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No Relief From Ongoing Drought In Southwest

No Relief From Ongoing Drought In Southwest

Mónica Ortiz Uribe

A bull in a dry patch of eastern New Mexico, one of the places hit hardest by the ongoing drought.

The latest report from the U.S. Drought Monitorwarned western states cannot expect any relief from the ongoing drought. The dry spell will further strain the region's water supply.

California, Nevada and the Texas panhandle are suffering the driest conditions. Annual precipitation in parts of those states is 20 percent below normal.

Drought conditions in New Mexico and Arizona, where large and deadly wildfires sparked last year, continue to be classified as moderate-to-severe.

A report released by the Texas comptroller this month warns water supply in Texas could drop 10 percent in the next 50 years, when the state's population is expected to double. The report signals San Antonio and El Paso are among large U.S. cities most vulnerable to water shortages.

Mónica Ortiz Uribe was a senior field correspondent for the Fronteras Desk from 2010 to 2016.