The Denver Gazette

Drought recedes slightly as long-term trend continues

BY EVAN WYLOGE The Denver Gazette

Colorado saw a small improvement in drought conditions after recent snow and rain, though more than half of the state is still experiencing at least “severe” drought conditions.

West of the Rockies, and especially in the southwest corner of the state, conditions continue to worsen.

Meanwhile, the Front Range and, to a lesser extent, the eastern plains saw conditions improve.

The Denver metro area saw improvement, moving mostly into “moderate” drought conditions after being in both “moderate” and “severe” conditions in recent weeks.

None of the state is currently classified as experiencing “normal” conditions, according to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s National Drought Mitigation Center, as the long-term trend of drought continues in the Southwest, particularly in the lower Colorado River Basin.

The 2021/2022 winter’s relatively dry conditions and below-normal snowfall have led to a quickly diminishing snowpack, with some areas of the state below half of normal conditions, according to the Department of Agriculture’s Snow Survey.

Weather forecasts are predicting a chance of scattered rain in some parts of the state over the upcoming holiday weekend.

AROUND COLORADO

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2022-05-27T07:00:00.0000000Z

2022-05-27T07:00:00.0000000Z

https://daily.denvergazette.com/article/281689733435965

The Gazette, Colorado Springs