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23

primary counties with USDA Drought Disaster Designations, according to USDA Farm Service Agency

2.0 Million

Colorado residents in areas of drought, according to the Drought Monitor

Increase of
0.9%
since last week
6th

wettest November on record (since 1895)

2.14 in.
total precipitation
Increase of
1.07 in.
from normal
27th

wettest January—November on record (since 1895)

18.69 in.
total precipitation
Increase of
1.65 in.
from normal
Current Colorado Drought Maps

Drought & Dryness Categories
% of CO
12.8
6.5
3.8
0.3
0.0
10.6
Drought Change Since Last Week
Dry Conditions
Wet Conditions
Dry Conditions
Wet Conditions

Experimental
Experimental

Drought in the Intermountain West

Drought and its impacts vary from region to region—due to differences in climate. In Colorado and across the Intermountain West region (Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, Arizona, and western New Mexico), drought onset may occur quickly and last a season, or begin gradually and last decades. The Rocky Mountain regions rely on winter snowpack to sustain cities, towns, agriculture and recreation. In the Southwest, the summer monsoons help people, and livestock, get through the hot summer months. 

The Colorado River is the largest perennial stream in the Intermountain West, feeding the two largest reservoirs in the United States. Winter snowpack in the Colorado Rockies usually sets the tone for drought conditions from year to year.

To help foster interstate coordination to cope with current and future droughts and growing water demands, NOAA’s National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS) launched the Intermountain West Drought Early Warning System (DEWS). The Intermountain West DEWS is a network of regional and national partners that share information and coordinate actions to help communities in the region cope with current and future droughts. 

Reach out to Gretel Follingstad, the Regional Drought Coordinator for this region, for more information, or sign up for the Intermountain West DEWS newsletter.

Colorado Current Conditions

A number of physical indicators are important for monitoring drought, such as precipitation & temperature, water supply (e.g., streamflow, reservoirs), and soil moisture. Learn more about monitoring drought.

Colorado Precipitation Conditions

Inches of Precipitation
Percent of Normal Precipitation (%)
100%
Percent of Normal Precipitation (%)
100%

Colorado Temperature Conditions

Maximum Temperature (°F)
60
Departure from Normal Max Temperature (°F)
0
Departure from Normal Max Temperature (°F)
0

Colorado Streamflow Conditions

Streamflow Conditions
Streamflow Conditions
Streamflow Conditions

Colorado Soil Moisture Conditions

0–100 cm Soil Moisture Percentile
70
100
Soil Moisture Anomaly
0%

Outlooks & Forecasts for Colorado

Predicting drought in Colorado depends on the ability to forecast precipitation and temperature within the context of complex climate interactions. View more outlooks & forecasts.

Future Precipitation & Temperature Conditions

Predicted Inches of Precipitation
1.75
Probability of Below-Normal Precipitation
100%
Probability of Above-Normal Precipitation
100%
Probability of Below-Normal Temperatures
100%
Probability of Above-Normal Temperatures
100%

Drought Outlooks for Colorado

Drought Is Predicted To...
Drought Is Predicted To...

Historical Drought Conditions in Colorado

Drought is a normal climate pattern that has occurred in varying degrees of length, severity, and size throughout history. Below, you can look back at past drought conditions for Colorado according to 3 historical drought indices. The U.S. Drought Monitor is a weekly map that shows the location and intensity of drought across the country since 2000. The Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) is a monthly depiction of drought based on precipitation (with data going back to 1895). And the paleoclimate data uses tree-ring reconstructions to estimate drought conditions before we had widespread instrumental records, going back to the year 0 for some parts of the U.S. View more historical conditions.

U.S. Drought Monitor

The U.S. Drought Monitor (2000–present) depicts the location and intensity of drought across the country. Every Thursday, authors from NOAA, USDA, and the National Drought Mitigation Center produce a new map based on their assessments of the best available data and input from local observers. The map uses five categories: Abnormally Dry (D0), showing areas that may be going into or are coming out of drought, and four levels of drought (D1–D4). Learn more.

 

Colorado Drought Resources

Stay Informed: Local Drought Updates

Drought Alert Emails
Get email updates when U.S. Drought Monitor conditions change for your location or a new drought outlook is released.

Intermountain West Drought Status Updates
NIDIS & its partners issue regional updates covering drought conditions, outlooks/forecasts, and local impacts.

Intermountain West Drought Email List
Get regional drought status updates right to your inbox, as well as drought news, webinars, and other events for the Intermountain West.

Intermountain West Drought & Climate Outlook Webinars
These webinars provide the region with timely information on current and developing climate conditions such as drought, floods, and tropical storms, as well as climatic events like El Niño and La Niña.

Get Involved: Submit Local Drought Impacts

Drought in your area? Tell us how drought is impacting your community by submitting a condition monitoring report. Your submissions help us better understand how drought is affecting local conditions.









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