Drought Information Statement from NWS-Pueblo

Early Start for Summer Monsoon Brings Some Drought Relief to S.E. Colorado

June was a warm and dry month for south central and southeast Colorado, except for some spotty but beneficial moisture to the plains.  However, with a fairly early start to the summer monsoons season, July brought much more needed precipitation to the drought ravaged plains, with widespread two to three inch rainfall totals, thus far, along with pockets of four to six inches of rain being recorded.

(D4) Exceptional Drought conditions are now confined to southwestern through west central Kiowa County as well as extreme northern Bent County, extreme southeastern Crowley County and extreme northeastern Otero County.

(D3) Extreme Drought conditions are now depicted across northwestern through north central Kiowa County, central and eastern Crowley County, northeastern Otero County, northern Bent County and northeastern Prowers County.  (D3) conditions are also indicated across southwestern Baca and southern Las Animas Counties.

(D2) Severe Drought conditions are indicated across the rest of Kiowa, Crowley, Otero, Bent, Prowers and Baca Counties.

Early in July, the USDA designated three San Luis Valley counties as drought related natural disasters, making farmers and ranchers in Conejos, Mineral and Rio Grande Counties eligible for low interest emergency loans.  Eight other counties across southeastern Colorado were given natural disaster designations earlier in the year.

The CPC and VIC Soil Moisture Calculations through June indicated normal to slightly drier than normal conditions in place across most of south central and southeast Colorado, with continued below to well below normal conditions in place across the southeast plains.  However, the latest VIC calculations are showing improvement in conditions area wide.

The latest USDA Colorado Crop report is also indicating improving conditions with 49% of top soil moisture across the state being rated at short or very short this week, compared to 53% last week and to 80% at this same time last year.  The Crop Report also indicated 56% of the subsoil moisture across the state was rated at short or very short this week, compared to 53% last week and to 87% at this same time last year.  Pasture and rangeland across Colorado remain in better shape as well, with only 36% rated at poor or very poor, compared to 64% at this same time last year.

The summer monsoon was very active across the state early in the month of July, and took a brief hiatus through the middle of the month, before becoming active again at the end of the month, especially across southeastern Colorado. With that said, above normal precipitation has been recorded across much of south central and southeast Colorado through the month of July thus far, with the following table indicating precipitation totals across the state through 6 pm July 30th.

In Colorado Springs, total precipitation for the month of July through 9 pm Wednesday July 30th has been 4.50 inches. This is 1.66 inches above normal for the month, thus far, and would be tied with July of 1950 as the 17th wettest July on record, if no other precipitation is recorded. This, however, remains well below the 6.59 inches of rain recorded in July of 1930.

In Pueblo, total precipitation for the month of July through 9 pm Wednesday July 30th has been 3.28 inches.  This is 1.22 inches above normal for the month, thus far, and would be the 16th wettest July on record, if no other precipitation is recorded. This, however, remains well below the 6.72 inches of rain recorded in July of 1895.

In Alamosa, total precipitation for the month of July through 9 pm Wednesday July 30th has been 1.47 inches.  This is 0.50 inches above normal for the month, thus far, and would be the 19th wettest July on record, if no other precipitation is recorded. This, however, remains well below the 3.50 inches of rain recorded in July of 1968.

Rainfall comparisons for southeast Colorado communities are as follows:

                                                July 2014              July 2013              2014 To Date

Campo  11.3 ESE                      4.95                        1.62                        10.75
Springfield 0.5 NW                  5.71                        2.03                         9.21
Las Animas 8.1 NE                   N/A                        1.65                        N/A
Wiley 3.7 SW                             3.56                        1.73                         5.89
Eads 0.3 NE                               8.15                        4.54                        11.55
Haswell 5.1N                              4.42                        3.19                         7.21
Sheridan Lake 0.2 SE               5.14                        1.60                        11.41
La Junta 1.0 S                            4.33                        0.90                        8.50
Rocky Ford .89 WNW              4.92                        0.26                        6.45
Holly 0.1 ENE                            3.99                         1.53                        9.49
Lamar 3.7 S                                 3.71                         1.97                      10.69
Two Buttes                                  3.99                         1.24                     10.36