From the National Weather Service Pueblo office:
SYNOPSIS…
THE ACTIVE SUMMER MONSOON OF 2013 BROUGHT MUCH NEEDED RAINFALL TO MUCH OF SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST COLORADO…PROVIDING SOME SHORT TERM RELIEF TO THE DROUGHT ACROSS THE AREA. HOWEVER…MUCH MORE PRECIPITATION WILL BE NEEDED…ESPECIALLY OVER THE SOUTHEAST PLAINS…TO ERASE PRECIPITATION DEFICITS ACCUMULATED OVER THE PAST TWO YEARS OF DROUGHT.
THE CURRENT US DROUGHT MONITOR CONTINUES TO SHOW IMPROVEMENT IN THE DROUGHT ACROSS SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST COLORADO…ESPECIALLY FOR THE PIKES PEAK REGION AND PORTIONS OF EASTERN MOUNTAINS AND ADJACENT PLAINS…WHICH SAW SUMMER PRECIPITATION TOTALS OF 150 TO 200 PERCENT OF NORMAL.
WITH THIS IN MIND…MODERATE (D1) DROUGHT CONDITIONS ARE NOW INDICATED ACROSS MUCH OF EL PASO COUNTY.
EXCEPTIONAL (D4) DROUGHT CONDITIONS ARE NOW LIMITED TO CROWLEY AND OTERO COUNTIES…AS WELL AS WESTERN KIOWA COUNTY AND EXTREME WESTERN PORTIONS OF BENT COUNTY.
EXTREME DROUGHT (D3) CONDITIONS ARE NOW INDICATED ACROSS EXTREME SOUTHEASTERN EL PASO COUNTY…CENTRAL PORTIONS AND EXTREME EASTERN PUEBLO COUNTY…THE EASTERN TWO THIRDS OF LAS ANIMAS COUNTY…AS WELL AS BACA COUNTY…PROWERS COUNTY AND THE REST OF KIOWA AND BENT COUNTIES. EXTREME DROUGHT (D3) CONDITIONS ALSO REMAIN DEPICTED ACROSS EXTREME SOUTHWESTERN MINERAL COUNTY.
SEVERE DROUGHT (D2) CONDITIONS ARE NOW INDICATED ACROSS WESTERN AND EASTERN PORTIONS OF PUEBLO COUNTY…AS WELL AS EXTREME SOUTHERN AND EXTREME WESTERN PORTIONS OF EL PASO COUNTY. SEVERE DROUGHT (D2) CONDITIONS REMAIN ACROSS TELLER COUNTY…FREMONT COUNTY…CUSTER COUNTY…HUERFANO COUNTY AND THE REST OF LAS ANIMAS COUNTY. SEVERE DROUGHT (D2) CONDITIONS ALSO REMAIN DEPICTED ACROSS THE REST OF MINERAL COUNTY AND MOST OF SAGUACHE COUNTY…AS WELL AS ALL OF RIO GRANDE…CONEJOS…ALAMOSA AND COSTILLA COUNTIES.
MODERATE DROUGHT (D1) CONDITIONS REMAIN INDICATED ACROSS EXTREME NORTHERN SAGUACHE COUNTY…CHAFFEE COUNTY AND EXTREME WESTERN LAKE COUNTY…WITH ABNORMALLY DRY (D0) CONDITIONS REMAINING ACROSS THE REST OF LAKE COUNTY.
MORE INFORMATION ON THE US DROUGHT MONITOR CLASSIFICATION SCHEME CAN BE FOUND AT: WWW.DROUGHTMONITOR.UNL.EDU/CLASSIFY.HTM
SUMMARY OF IMPACTS…
THE BENEFICIAL MONSOONAL RAINS OVER THE PAST FEW MONTHS HAVE PROVIDED SOME SHORT TERM RELIEF IN THE DROUGHT TO MUCH OF THE AREA…INCLUDING IMPROVEMENT IN CROPS AND VEGETATION…DECREASING THE FIRE DANGER AND THE LIFTING OR EASING OF WATER RESTRICTIONS.
THE SUMMER MONSOON…HOWEVER…HAS ALSO CREATED ITS OWN IMPACT WITH INCREASED FLASH FLOODING DANGERS FOR AREAS IN AND AROUND RECENT BURN SCARS. SEVERAL DESTRUCTIVE FLASH FLOODS HAVE BEEN RECORDED SINCE JULY 1ST…ESPECIALLY ACROSS TELLER AND EL PASO COUNTIES…DUE TO THE LOSS OF VEGETATION AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF HYDROPHOBIC SOILS CAUSED BY THE RECENT WILDFIRES.