Drought Returning to Southern Colorado Areas

Colorado Drought Map, January 2020

Moderate to Severe Drought Conditions Return to Portions of South Central and Southeast Colorado…

SYNOPSIS… 

A wet and cool Spring of 2019, combined with the previous wet Winter of 2018 and 2019 allowed for the US Drought Monitor to declare all of Colorado drought free on May 21st of 2019, a feat which had not occurred since the development of the US Drought Monitor some 20 years previous. However, with a lackluster start to the 2019 Monsoon, abnormally dry (D0) conditions were reintroduced to portions of southwest Colorado on July 23rd, 2019. With mainly warm and dry weather experienced for the rest of the Summer of 2019, abnormally dry (D0) conditions expanded across portions of south central and southeast Colorado, with moderate drought (D1) conditions reintroduced across southwest Colorado on September 10th, 2019. After a very warm and dry start to the Fall of 2019, drought conditions continued to expand across the state, with severe drought (D2) conditions indicated across portions of southwest and south central Colorado on the October 8th, 2019 issuance of US Drought Monitor. The last half of Fall of 2019 and the first half of the Winter of 2019 and 2020 saw periods of cold and unsettled weather, as well as warm and dry periods, leading to ebbs and flows in drought conditions across south central and southeast Colorado.  

With that said, the latest US Drought Monitor, issued Thursday February 13th 2020, indicated severe drought (D2) conditions across southwestern through northeastern portions of Baca County. 

Moderate drought (D1) conditions were indicated across most of Saguache and Costilla Counties, as well as all of Mineral, Rio Grande, Alamosa and Conejos Counties. Moderate drought (D1) conditions were also indicated across extreme southwestern Huerfano County, Las Animas County, southeastern portions of Pueblo County, Otero County, most of Crowley and Kiowa Counties, Bent County, Prowers County and the rest of Baca County. 

Abnormally dry (D0) conditions were indicated across Lake and Chaffee Counties, eastern portions of Saguache and southwestern portions of Fremont Counties, Custer County, the rest of Huerfano County, southwestern through northeastern Pueblo County, extreme southeastern El Paso County, as well as extreme northwestern Crowley and extreme northeastern Kiowa Counties. 

Drought free conditions were indicated across Teller County, and the rest of Fremont, Pueblo and El Paso Counties.

 FIRE DANGER… 

With the winter season being a normally dry time of the year, along with soil moisture continuing to diminish, fire danger is moderate to high across most of the non snow covered areas south central and southeast Colorado. 

AGRICULTURAL… 

The January 27th, 2020 USDA Colorado Crop Progress Report indicated minimal moisture during the month of January resulted in diminished topsoil moisture supplies across the state, with 61 percent of topsoil moisture being reported at short or very short. Subsoil moisture faired a little better with 34 percent being reported as short or very short statewide. 

HYDROLOGIC… 

The February 1st Colorado Water Supply Outlook Report indicated statewide precipitation for the month of January came in at 76 percent of average, bringing statewide 2020 Water Year precipitation to 88 percent of average overall. 

In the Arkansas Basin, NRCS data indicated January precipitation was 62 percent of average, which brings water year to date precipitation to 87 percent of average overall.

Colorado NRCS data indicated statewide snowpack at the end of January was at 109 percent of average overall, which is 104 percent of the available snowpack at this same time last year.

In the Arkansas Basin, NRCS data indicated February 1st snowpack was at 119 percent of average overall, which is 97 percent of the available snowpack at this same time last year.

NRCS data indicated statewide water storage was at 105 percent of average overall at the end of January, as compared to 83 percent of average storage available statewide at this same time last year.

In the Arkansas Basin, water storage at the end of January came in at 96 percent of average, as compared to 89 percent of average storage available at this same time last year.

PRECIPITATION/TEMPERATURE OUTLOOK…

The Climate Prediction Center (CPC) outlook for the two next weeks indicates better chances of below normal temperatures and precipitation across south central and southeast Colorado. The outlook for the rest of March and April continues to give equal chances for above, below and near normal temperatures across south central and southeast Colorado, save for a slight nod to below above normal temperatures across south central Colorado.

DROUGHT INFORMATION STATEMENT
National Weather Service National Weather Service Pueblo Co