“an exceptionally dry April” in the Rio Grande headwaters, and pretty much everywhere else across the southwest, map courtesy PRISM

Following what NRCS forecaster Angus Goodbody describes as “an exceptionally dry April”, our anticipated Rio Grande runoff into New Mexico’s Middle Rio Grande valley (meaning the flow at the Otowi gauge) is down 100,000 acre feet from a month ago.

That’s about 44 percent of the 30-year mean. Importantly, April was really our last chance for a late spring bailout.