Latest Drought Monitor shows little relief in coming months, but forecasters say another La Niña will help kick-start Colorado winter
colorado climate center
Posted inNews
“Where do we go to escape this?” The Marshall fire is Colorado’s new reality.
SUPERIOR – Out one window was bright sunshine. Out the other, wildfire smoke billowing over pastures. Brenda Leighton started grabbing things as she scrambled through her house of 18 years in Superior’s Sagamore neighborhood. A couple pieces of jewelry. A few mementos. It was her first-ever evacuation. One she never imagined. “When I opened my […]
Posted inEnvironment, News
Nearly half of Colorado has shed its drought status since last year, but the coming months don’t look good
As drought loosened its grip across nearly half Colorado in the past year, parts of Colorado could see conditions worsen in the coming months due to an autumn and winter that experts say will be hotter and drier than normal. About 52% of the state’s geographic area now faces some type of drought — ranging […]
Posted inClimate, Environment, News, Outdoors, Water, Wildfire
Northwest Colorado under “extremely critical” fire warning for first time in 15 years as Western Slope drought worsens
As drought conditions worsened on the Western Slope, the National Weather Service has issued its first “extremely critical” fire danger warning in 15 years for northwest Colorado. The warning, in effect through midnight, covers parts of Moffat and Rio Blanco counties that also are in a state of “exceptional drought,” according to the weekly U.S. […]
Posted inClimate, Environment, News, Water
Big March storms helped boost Colorado’s snowpack, but they weren’t enough to solve the long-term drought
Snowstorms last month replenished snowpack in the Colorado mountains and improved drought conditions on the Front Range, as did rain that quenched the parched Eastern Plains. But smaller amounts of precipitation farther south and west have done less to dampen drought conditions. Ultimately, researchers say that one big storm is not enough to break Colorado […]
Posted inClimate, Environment, News
Recent snowstorms are barely scratching the surface of Colorado’s ongoing drought
Colorado is no longer technically 100% in drought. And conditions in some areas of the state have slightly improved as recent spring snows have left deeper-than-forecast drifts. But don’t get too excited just yet. Last week’s snowstorms across the Front Range were enough to downgrade some areas from “extreme” drought to “severe,” according to the […]
Posted inClimate, Environment, News, Water
14 Front Range cities coordinate to warn of water shortages in alarmingly dry year
As drought conditions intensify across Colorado, at least 14 cities in the Denver metro area say they will join forces to warn residents of looming water shortages and the need to cut back use this spring. Denver Water’s Jason Finehout said a metro drought coordination effort would help ensure a consistent message on reducing water […]
Posted inClimate, Environment, News
Colorado’s drought keeps getting worse, with a quarter of the state now exceptionally dry
November in Colorado is usually a time for hyping up the winter powder season, speculating on how many snow days students will get and generally looking forward to flaky, fluffy precipitation. But with almost 25% of the state classified in “exceptional” drought status, as of the latest drought monitor report released Thursday, and little reprieve […]
Posted inEnvironment, News
All of Colorado is under drought status for the first time since 2013
The results are in: All of Colorado is, to some degree or another, in a drought. As of the U.S. drought monitor’s latest update on Thursday, every part of Colorado is in at least moderate drought, with 16.72% in the most severe category of “exceptional,” mostly on the Western Slope. The state has not been […]