In a region where weather can change in the blink of an eye, Arizona is bracing for yet another dry winter. This follows a historical trend of dry spells, including a notably arid winter in 2025.
Last year’s monsoon season did little to replenish Arizona’s water supplies, leaving them below average. However, a burst of rainfall last fall offered a glimmer of hope, according to Stephen Flora, a senior hydrologist at SRP.
“In Arizona we have a lot of variability,” Flora noted. “It’s a desert and we can have very wet years and we can have very dry years so there’s quite a bit of range in what you might say is normal.”
He elaborated that the fall rains improved watershed conditions, boosting water flow as winter began. “We had a fairly wet fall, so that helped to prime the watershed and we’ve seen some more flow. Our flow has actually been very good this fall and into the early winter,” Flora stated.
Despite being under the influence of a mild La Niña, known for drier conditions, the state’s inherently unpredictable climate means that surprises could still be in store. Flora mentioned that while the current snowpack is low, there is optimism for more snowfall as the season progresses.
