A few inches of snow are expected to land in Colorado on Saturday after days of dryness. After that, no more snow is expected for about a week. This lack of consistent snowfall seems to be the norm this winter, as Colorado continues to experience widespread drought and snowpack remains low.
Colorado Drought Monitor January 5, 2021.
According to the US Drought Monitor, 100 percent of Colorado is experiencing drought of some level, as of January 5, with more than three-quarters of the state experiencing “extreme” drought or worse. Roughly 27 percent of the state is currently in “exceptional” drought conditions, the worst stage of drought, likely to result in major agricultural and recreational economic losses, among negative side effects.
Westwide SNOTEL basin-filled map January 7, 2021 via the NRCS.
The recent dryness in Colorado is reflected in the state’s snowpack. The state’s current snow water equivalent is at just 79 percent of the to-date median and just 35 percent of the median snow water equivalent peak, which typically occurs in early April.
This time last year, just 51 percent of Colorado was experiencing some level of drought, with no portion of Colorado experiencing the two worst levels of drought – “extreme” and “exceptional”.
