Colorado Drought

Colorado Drought

Maura Bennett
Maura Bennett

A third of Colorado is experiencing severe drought. The National Drought Monitor reports that nearly 83% of the state was experiencing abnormally dry conditions and 33% is in extreme or severe drought.

Those numbers will likely be higher when The National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS) hosts a webinar July 9th to give an updated picture on the drought conditions and its impacts on Colorado.

Becky Bolinger Assistant State Climatologist will have the latest data on how the drought is evolving across the state.

Bolinger: “ Unfortunately, we can probably expect some more warmer than average temperatures. The Climate Prediction Center has been pretty consistent in calling for a good chance for warmer than average temperatures for most of the summer. That is the unfortunate news because that helps drive some evaporative loss to the atmosphere and further stresses vegetation in the area. We don’t have any word yet on how the monsoon is going to evolve. It hasn’t really started in Arizona and New Mexico yet. As of yet there’s a lot of uncertainty with that. “

Bolinger says by the webinar on July 9th they should have better data for forecasting.

“Until then we’re looking at you’ll get spotty thunderstorms; probably not enough for widespread relief. Hot temperatures and just kind of hold on and wait for the ride to be over.”

Fire weather expert from the Bureau of Land Management Tim Mathewson will be on the webinar to explain the risk of large wildfires and what his agency is expecting for the fire season.

The webinar is hosted by the National Integrated Drought Information System at www.drought.gov.

Previous Report4th of July Safe Grilling
Next ReportBeef Prices