A few winter storms over the previous week have helped generate new improvements for Colorado's ongoing drought.
Exceptional drought, the worst category, receded from portions of northern Costilla and western Huerfano counties in southern Colorado.
Extreme drought disappeared from Pueblo County over the past week, while other drought levels continued to recede from other southeastern counties. Western and south-central Colorado largely remains in extreme and exceptional drought, the two worst categories.
Colorado drought conditions were wholly unchanged from the previous week as improvements in the western part of the state halted. While chances of an El Nino continue to increase, the weather pattern is not expected to bring significant relief.
Western and southeastern Colorado saw additional improvements in drought conditions over the past week.
In the west central area, Mesa County and northwest Montrose County moved from extreme to severe drought. Both counties were covered by extreme and exceptional conditions two weeks ago before the remnants of Hurricane Rosa brought welcome rains.
The effects of rain last week from the remnants of Hurricane Rosa appeared as dramatic improvements this week for drought conditions in western Colorado. The southeast corner of the state also saw drought continue to recede.
Despite rain in western Colorado this week, half of the state remains in the two worst drought categories. Most of the southwest quarter of the state is in exceptional drought, with much of the remainder of western Colorado in extreme conditions. Neighboring portions of Utah, Arizona and New Mexico are experiencing similar drought issues and, collectively, are under worst drought impacts in the United States.
Chris Sorensen
Reflecting recent warm, dry weather in the state, western Colorado saw expansion of the worst drought categories, while dry conditions grew in the northeast.
Exceptional drought expanded further east a week after it had advanced to the north into Mesa and Delta counties. This week's increases now cover all of Ouray and Archuleta counties and most of Hinsdale and Mineral counties. Southwest Gunnison County and western Conejos County also moved into exceptional conditions.
A week after drought had stabilized in Colorado, conditions degraded dramatically, particularly for the western half of the state.
Mesa and Delta counites, along with northwest Gunnison County, saw extreme drought replaced by exceptional drought - the worst category - as hot and dry conditions persisted in the area.
Rain and thunderstorms that have helped improve drought conditions in eastern Colorado since the end of July largely came to an end last week, while the western half of the state continued to bake under warm temperatures.
Nearly half of Colorado remains in extreme and exceptional drought, the two worst categories. South central and much of the west slope have been suffering under a lack of moisture for most of the year, while the northeast benefited from a late season blizzard and periodic rain to reach drought-free conditions over the summer.
