All Entries Tagged With: "precipitation"
A Warm and Wet 2015 for Southern Colorado
2015 was a warm and wet year across south central and southeast Colorado. 2015 precipitation totals were bolstered by record setting late Spring and early Summer precipitation, which helped to end a multi-year drought across portions of southeast Colorado. With that said, 2015 has become one of the “Top 10” warmest and […]
CWCB Drought Update, October 2015
Following a very warm and dry start to the fall, November to-date has seen more seasonal temperatures west of the divide and increased precipitation on the west slope and northeastern plains. This has helped to alleviate abnormally dry conditions over parts of the state. Storage levels in some basins are at the highest levels since […]
September Drought Update from CWCB
Warm dry conditions have continued across much of eastern Colorado, while the mountains have seen near average precipitation so far this month. Drier conditions have resulted in declining soil moisture levels, but overall evapotranspiration rates are below average for the season, and pasture conditions and harvest yields are reportedly good. Water providers are also reporting […]
Colorado Water Conservation Board, August 2015 Drought Update
Colorado Water Conservation Board, August 2015 Drought Update Colorado remains largely drought free despite decreased precipitation in late July and early August. This is in part due to moderate summer temperatures over the same time period. Drier conditions in recent weeks have led to declining soil moisture levels, but overall evapotranspiration rates are below average […]
January 2015 Drought Update/Precipitation Levels
Globally, calendar year 2014 was the warmest on record. In Colorado the year ended with above average temperatures, making it the state’s 18th warmest calendar year and the warmest since 2012. Following a wet month of precipitation in December, January 1st snow accumulation was above average for the northern half of the state. 2014 […]
Water Supply Outlook-NWS-Pueblo
As of April 1, the 2014 snowpack was below average across the Rio Grande Basin of south central Colorado. Across the Arkansas Basin of southeast Colorado, the snowpack was highly variable, ranging from above average north of highway 50 to below average south of the highway. The Arkansas Basin snowpack measured 112% of median […]
Water Supply Outlook from NWS, Pueblo
As of June 1, the 2013 snowpack was almost gone over the Upper Rio Grande Basin. For the Arkansas Basin, a decent amount of snow remained over the headwaters portion of the basin, but the snowpack was nearly gone over the remainder. In the Arkansas basin, the snowpack was at 86% of median overall, […]
National Weather Service, Water Supply Outlook
As of February 1, the 2013 snow accumulation season gained some ground, but remained below average according to the National Weather Service. In the upper Rio Grande Basin, the snowpack improved to 78% of average overall, up from 65% from last month and slightly better than 77% from this time last year. In the […]
2012 Ends with Lowered Precipitation in S.E. Colorado
Statistics provided by the National Weather Service indicates 2012 was an extremely dry year for southeast Colorado, with the exception of Walsh which measured over 17 inches of precipitation for the past year. Trace amounts of moisture were evident in the snowfalls of Christmas and New Year ’s Eve, but otherwise November and December closed […]
Crop & Soil Management Practices Following Drought
The current drought conditions have many similarities to the conditions during the Dust Bowl of the 1930s. While soil management practices are better today, high temperatures and water shortages this past year created crop losses and poor environmental conditions that echoed the Dust Bowl. The 2012 drought is the combination of a dry fall […]
Record Heat Continues in S.E. Colorado
Precipitation across Colorado has been tempered by high temperatures and evapotranspiration (ET) rates that are at or above reference high levels for many areas of the state. High ET rates are a contributing factor in crop loss and poor range lands seen across Colorado. Municipalities are reporting increased demand and decreasing storage volumes, yet […]
June Precipitation Levels for S.E. Colorado
Despite the summer heat, some areas of southeast Colorado continued to receive precipitation in amounts comparable to last year. The overall drought status of southeast Colorado is slightly improved over last year, which is why some counties have not been red-flagged for burn bans from the National Weather Service. Prowers and Baca Counties are two […]
NWS-Pueblo Reports Drought on Increase in S.E. Colorado
National Weather Service Drought/Climate Summary as of June 1, 2012 A very warm and unusually dry spring has allowed for drought conditions to persist and advance across south central and southeast Colorado. This past dry spring, coupled with a dry winter has allowed for drought conditions to persist. The current U.S. Drought Monitor has reintroduced […]
NWS Reports Warm & Dry S.E. Colorado in March
March of 2012 was an unusually warm and dry month, across most of south central and southeast Colorado. In Colorado Springs, the average monthly temperature in March was 48.0F. This is 8.9 degrees above normal and makes March of 2012 the warmest on record in Colorado Springs; surpassing the average temperature of 47.4F, recorded in […]
2011 Was a Dryer Year
The National Weather Service indicates that 2010 was wetter than 2011 in southeast Colorado. The wettest month for Eads was August with 2.99 inches of rain, the driest was October with 0.15. August was the wettest month for Haswell with 2.33 inches and the driest was October with 0.08. John Martin Dam received 3.06 inches […]
Southeast Colorado Drought Status – Portions Now at D4 Designation
Lack of significant precipitation for southeast Colorado has brought the current drought situation to a D4, (Exceptional) status for extreme southeast Baca County as of Sunday, May 22. The National Weather Service rates D4 conditions as follows: “Exceptional and widespread crop/pasture losses; exceptional fire risk; shortages of water in reservoirs, streams, and wells, creating water […]
Another Dry Month for Southeast Colorado
Another Dry Month for Southeast Colorado Precipitation levels for southeast Colorado were down for another month. Figures available from the National Weather Service in Pueblo show April 2011 posted less moisture compared to April, 2010. Figures shown are in inches: 2011 2010 Eads 0.95 2.88 Haswell 0.22 1.37 Holly n/a n/a John Martin Dam 0.39 […]
March Figures Indicate a Dry Spring
The National Weather Service in Pueblo has released precipitation figures for southeast Colorado for March, 2011. It was a very dry month compared to last year’s precipitation amounts, and in comparison to a thirty year average, from 1971 to 2000. The amounts shown are precipitation in inches.