CIBOLA COUNTY, N.M. — When the U.S. Drought Monitor added “Moderate Drought” back to Cibola County’s map this month, it marked a change — but not necessarily an improvement.
According to the Drought Monitor, “Moderate Drought,” or D1, is the lowest classification on the scale where impacts begin to be measurable. It typically means short-term dryness, stress on crops and pastures, and the potential for increased fire danger. It can also reduce streamflows, delay planting or harvesting cycles, and lead to requests for water conservation.
Cibola hasn’t seen Moderate Drought on the map since midsummer, when most of the county was either in Severe (D2) or Extreme Drought (D3). This October, 30.45 percent of the county is back in D1.
But experts caution that this doesn’t mean the drought is over.
“Moderate Drought is still drought,” said one climatologist with the Southwest Climate Hub. “It’s a lower tier, but it’s not normal. And if there’s no follow-up moisture, it can slip right back into severe.”
The full Drought Monitor scale is as follows: • D0 – Abnormally Dry (not technically drought)
• D1 – Moderate Drought
• D2 – Severe Drought
• D3 – Extreme Drought
• D4 – Exceptional Drought Cibola is currently split between D1, D2, and D3 — meaning the county is not out of the woods. If anything, the map is showing how uneven the dry season has become.