The drought in Arizona has gone from bad to worse, according to the latest U.S. Drought Monitor report.
Data shows 99% of Arizona is in drought.
The area under Exceptional Drought (the worst kind) has expanded to cover 58% of Arizona, including parts of the Phoenix metro area. 55% of the state was in an Exceptional Drought last week.
One year ago, only 13% of Arizona was in some form of drought.
The extensive drought is gripping much of the West, too.
Areas in dark red, including the Four Corners, have stayed in moderate to exceptional drought conditions since last year.
The historic drought conditions have been affecting the West for decades now. The Palmer Hydrological Drought Index (PHDI), which measures droughts and their long-term impacts on reservoir levels and groundwater, shows that the Western U.S. has experienced drought in 17 of the past 20 years. This data's been provided by Climate Central.
Although slight rain chances return to the state this week, the long-term outlook doesn't look favorable for improving drought conditions.
