As the forecast remains dry, drought continues to climb. The latest drought monitor update shows a significant milestone. The ‘Abnormally Dry’ category, that was previously keeping Colorado out of the 100% drought category by a small margin, has been replaced by areas of Moderate drought in North Colorado.
This means the entire state is experiencing drought, not just a dry category or higher. The most recent time this happened was July 9, 2013[1]. That was part of a long stretch of drought conditions across Colorado.
Another notable change is the increase in Severe drought conditions. With areas of Moderate drought being overtaken by Severe levels as the forecast remains dry, levels of Severe drought or higher have climbed to 97%. This is about a 7% increase from last week. The only silver lining, Extreme and Exceptional levels of drought, the highest categories, have not increased.
Colorado is not alone in this drought either… About 46% of the country is dealing with Moderate drought or higher… that number jumps to almost 65% when including Abnormally Dry conditions.
The forecast remains dry over the next week with no rain or snow chances in store for South Colorado, although a few showers may skirt the northern reaches of the state. With La Niña conditions in place now and likely staying though winter, drought will likely continue to worsen.
[1] Roehler, E (2020, October 15). All of Colorado, along with nearly half the country, experiencing drought. Fox21News. https://www.fox21news.com/weather/all-of-colorado-along-with-nearly-half-of-us-experiencing-drought/
Photo Credit: NOAA
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