Hot Dry Weather Ahead

Hot Dry Weather Ahead

Maura Bennett
Maura Bennett

The USDA’s meteorologist says hot, dry weather is expected to set in over Colorado and surrounding states making drought conditions worsen.

Meteorologist Brad Rippey says it looks like it’s going to turn much hotter by week’s end.

Rippey: “:The core of the heat will be refocusing across the central and southern high plains and the southwest. This is an area already teetering on the brink of a big problem due to rapidly intensifying drought and periods of extreme heat.”

Rippey says the Southern Great Plains may even be heading toward an agricultural disaster in terms of pasture and rangeland stress. He says the heat may be so intense that even irrigated crops in those states might start feeling the stress.

Colorado Assistant State Climatologist Becky Bolinger told Colorado AG Today part of the state may be better positioned to handle the heat because of last year’s late snow pack and precipitation totals. North of I-70 the reservoirs look to have decent supplies. But the southern half of the state didn’t get much monsoon moisture and then had a hot September. The water year there ended with drier than normal soil moisture and lower stream levels. That means water supplies in the southern half of the state will likely be drawn down.

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