Click the link to read the article on the Steamboat Pilot & Today website (Ryan Spencer). Here’s an excerpt:
July 16, 2026
The North American monsoon season is ramping up across the West, with the potential to bring much-needed rain as Colorado faces a historic drought and major wildfires, according to forecasters. National Weather Service forecaster Kris Sanders said that widespread, scattered showers and thunderstorms on the Western Slope this week could be an early sign of the monsoon, or a late-summer shift in the wind patterns that brings more moisture to the region….A rainy monsoon season could be good news for the drought-stricken mountains. Large parts of Summit, Grand, Eagle, Pitkin, Moffat, Rio Blanco, Garfield and Lake counties have been experiencing exceptional drought — the highest level — for nearly three months straight, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. Almost the entire Western Slope is experiencing severe drought, Level 2 of 4, or higher. But Smith also noted that the monsoon can be a double-edged sword that can bring lightning and wind, which can increase wildfire risk. It also creates new hazards for those recreating outdoors.