TUCSON, AZ (Tucson News Now) – Every part of Arizona is currently experiencing some level of dryness or drought.
According to the National Integrated Drought Information System, 100 percent of the state’s population is experiencing unusual dryness or drought.
Fernando Molina from Tucson Water said despite those numbers, Tucson residents have nothing to worry about.
Tucson is not running out of water, but Molina does recommend water conservation.
He said as temperatures rise, people start reaching for the hose to water their plants.
Water usage doubles in the summer and Molina said that is mostly because of landscaping.
The gathered water can go directly into the ground or be stored for later use.
“We have done a really good job planning for the future and making sure we have adequate water supplies, so from a water supply outlook, that is not a problem.” Tucson Water has a drought preparedness plan in place if the drought gets severe.
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TUCSON – While relief is on the way for a parched Sonoran Desert, a lot more is needed to wipe out the expanding Arizona drought.
According to 4WARN Meteorologist Jeff Beamish, most of Metro Tucson can expect 0.30-0.75” rain through Friday.
Isolated areas in the Old Pueblo may pick up an inch, while Santa Cruz and Cochise Counties may receive up to 1.5” rainfall.
Since the start of the year, Tucson was running a rainfall deficit over 1.30”.
Dating back to October 1st, that deficit balloons to over 3”.
After a record wet July, Tucson’s rainfall is a whopping 5.04” below normal.
Even more staggering is the amount of rain needed to break out of the drought before wildfire season begins in April.
According to NOAA, southern Arizona needs roughly 8” of rainfall to eliminate the ongoing drought.
Tucson’s average March rainfall is 0.73”.
In a severe drought, every drop of rain certainly helps.

Lake Powell, which straddles Utah and Arizona, is expected to get 47 percent of its average inflow because of scant snow in the mountains that feed the Colorado River, said Greg Smith, a hydrologist with the Colorado Basin River Forecast Center, part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
It was the seventh-worst forecast for Lake Powell in 54 years.
Powell, along with Lake Mead on the Nevada-Arizona border, helps ensure the Colorado River system has enough water to get through dry years.
Normal allotment threatened Lackluster runoff into Lake Powell this spring is not likely to have an immediate impact on water users because most reservoirs upriver from Powell filled up after last winter’s healthy snowfall, said Marlon Duke, a spokesman for the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, which manages Powell, Mead and other reservoirs.
Along the Green River, a Colorado River tributary in Wyoming, the snowpack is 110 percent of average.
Along the San Juan River in southwestern Colorado and northwestern New Mexico, it’s 32 percent of average.
One reason is a strong winter weather pattern steering big storms away from the Southwestern United States and sending them north, said Russ Schumacher, Colorado’s state climatologist and an associate professor of atmospheric science at Colorado State University.
Another reason is exceptionally warm temperatures across much of the Southwest, he said.
Lake Powell, the second-largest, is at 56 percent.
Some climate scientists say global warming is already shrinking the river.

The January 2018 Phoenix weather statistics by themselves aren’t particularly remarkable, but a look at the bigger picture will get your attention. January 2018 was the third warmest ever for Phoenix when you look at the average temperature of 61.2 degrees. Average daily temperature is determined by adding the daily highs and lows and dividing by two. And it was the 34th driest month for the city with just 0.21 inch of rain recorded at Sky Harbor Airport, according to the National Weather Service in Phoenix. When you consider that 2017 was the warmest year ever for Phoenix and the city had only 4.96 inches of rain (8.03 is normal), the January 2018 numbers take on additional significance. The outlook from the Climate Prediction Center calls for a 50 percent probability of above-normal temperatures and a 40-percent probability (50 percent in the southeastern corner of the state) of below-normal rain and snowfall for the next three months, so it’s easy to see why there could be cause for concern. Moderate to severe drought across Arizona The most recent map for Arizona from the U.S. Drought Monitor shows that the entire state is experiencing…

January 2018 was the third warmest ever for Phoenix when you look at the average temperature of 61.2 degrees.
Parts of southeastern and east-central Arizona are in the extreme drought category.
I think drought is going to be a big story for Arizona this spring.” January highs and lows Three high-temperature records were set in Phoenix in January, according to National Weather Service statistics.
Phoenix had high temperatures of at least 80 degrees on the last four days of January.
January 2018 by the numbers The average high temperature for the month was 73.9 degrees.
The average daily temperature was 61.2 degrees, 4.8 degrees above normal and third on the all-time list.
The record is 62 degrees in 2003.
That’s fifth warmest in the category and 2.9 degrees above normal.
The record is 49.8 degrees in 1993.
Phoenix saw 0.21 inch of rain for the month.

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) – Drought conditions have returned to Arizona because of precipitation well below normal since August.
A drought monitor released late last week by the National Weather Service shows much of extreme northern Arizona and northeastern Arizona in severe drought and the rest of the state in moderate drought.
The areas shown as having severe drought conditions include most of Apache and Navajo counties, extreme northern Coconino County, eastern Gila County, northern Graham and Greenlee Counties, northeastern Pinal County and areas south of Tucson.
Since October 1st, Tucson has received 0.59" of rainfall, which is 2.25" below normal.
While last week’s storm brought welcome rain and snow to northern AZ, it barely made a dent in the large precipitation deficit over the region since Oct. 1st.
For Flagstaff, the storm only brought us up to around 20% of the normal total from Oct. 1st through Jan. 14th.
#azwx pic.twitter.com/XlO2acWHiQ — NWS Flagstaff (@NWSFlagstaff) January 16, 2018 A 90-day outlook by the weather service’s Flagstaff office says fuel conditions in northern Arizona are near or above historic high levels.

Weather service: Drought conditions visible across state FLAGSTAFF (AP) — Drought conditions have returned to Arizona because of precipitation well below normal since August.
A drought monitor released Thursday by the National Weather Service shows much of extreme northern Arizona and northeastern Arizona in extreme drought and the rest of the state in moderate drought.
Current law exempts the first $2,500 of military pensions from state taxes.
The governor did not spell out in the speech how much he wants that increased.
Capitol Media Services Legislator on Pacific trip missing most of session’s start PHOENIX (AP) — A state representative who is missing most of the beginning of the Arizona Legislature’s annual session says her husband surprised her with a trip to the South Pacific rescheduled on short notice to celebrate their 20th wedding anniversary and 50th birthdays.
Fish and Wildlife Service say flights will be conducted between Jan. 22 and Feb. 3 near Alpine, Arizona, and Reserve, New Mexico.
The last annual survey indicated there were at least 113 wolves.
EPA settles with company to assess uranium sites CAMERON (AP) — Federal officials have reached a settlement to have eight abandoned uranium mines assessed on the Navajo Nation.
Brnovich says current tuition and mandatory fees at Arizona State University are 315 percent higher than they were in the 2002-03 school year.
That figure is 325 percent for Northern Arizona University and 370 percent for the main campus of the University of Arizona.

Arizona’s future is closely tied to its water supply – and that makes an updated water accord between the United States and Mexico critically important for our state.
Mexico will continue its pledge to take reductions in its allotment of Colorado River water if a water shortage is declared on the river – that’s something U.S. states are required to do, with Arizona and Nevada first in line to lose water.
It establishes a Binational Water Scarcity Contingency Plan, in which Mexico agrees to join U.S. states in temporarily taking less water from Lake Mead to prevent the declaration of a shortage.
Arizona and Nevada would suffer cutbacks in Colorado River water allotments first if that happens.
Since 1944, the United States has had a treaty with Mexico regarding the Colorado River and the Rio Grande. Mexico has rights to Colorado River water and its participation in long-range water planning is essential.
Negotiated by representatives of both United States and Mexico, as well participation from U.S. states, this accord furthers cooperation and long-term planning to prevent the need for crisis management.

Our View: Gila River agreement shows Arizona is ready to deal on water.
Editorial: An agreement among five parties, including Gila River Indian Community and Phoenix, leaves even more water in Lake Mead to prevent drastic cuts.
Scarcity has a way of concentrating the mind.
When the water level at Lake Mead reaches or drops below 1,075 feet above sea level, the federal government will declare a shortage and trigger the first of tiered reductions in water supplies to states.
A generational drought intensified by climate change and massive population growth has put the Colorado Basin states on crisis footing.
If we are to continue to prosper as communities into the distant future, we will need to work together to solve the problem of water scarcity.
The city of Phoenix, the Gila River Indian Community, the state of Arizona, the federal government and the Walton Family Foundation have joined together to forge a plan that will expand the supplies of the Colorado River.
“Today’s agreement and the Community’s ongoing effort to protect the Colorado River carry immense importance for our people and our neighbors across the Southwest,” said Gila River Indian Community Gov.
In turn, the city was able to set aside some of its Colorado River water to be drawn during future shortages.
The ripples of this agreement move beyond the state of Arizona to our Western neighbors, declaring that the people of Arizona are ready to work together to solve one of the great challenges of this American century.

As part of what is being called the AZ Pure Water Brew Challenge, more than 30 Arizona breweries have agreed to make beer this summer with water from a portable system that treats wastewater.
The water system, which is being hauled around the state by a semi-truck, made a stop July 3 at Rio de Flag Wastewater Treatment Plant in Flagstaff.
"For Flagstaff it gives us one more tool in our toolbox for future water supplies should the community elect to go that route," said Brad Hill, utilities director with the city.
Water microbiologist Channah Rock, who is leading public outreach for the brewing challenge, says the truck’s statewide tour marks the first time wastewater is being treated for reuse as drinking water in the state of Arizona.
The AZ Pure Water Brew Challenge comes at a time when state environmental regulators are nearing completion of interim rules that will allow utilities to treat reclaimed wastewater for reuse as drinking water.
Inside the shipping container, treated wastewater in Flagstaff went through several steps including ultra-filtration to block bacteria and other small organisms; reverse osmosis to dissolve things like salts, minerals and pharmaceuticals; and ultraviolet disinfection with advanced oxidation to break down the DNA of bacteria and viruses.
The initial run-through of the advanced treatment process will be a big step for Flagstaff’s utilities department as it evaluates the potable reuse of treated wastewater as part of the city’s long-term water supply plan.
The Pure Water Brew truck will return to Flagstaff in August when the tests are done.
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