Rain has been hard to find for the last couple of months in Southern Colorado. While some parts of the state have picked up several inches this month, locally, most of southern Colorado has seen little rain. The best moisture has been trapped up in the mountains and San Luis Valley.
Colorado Springs has been particularly dry this June. June is typically the third wettest month of the year in Colorado Springs with an average of around 2.25" of rain. Instead...the Springs has seen only about 1/3rd of an inch. Pueblo has done well - comparatively.
The latest drought map has around 40 percent of the state seeing abnormally dry conditions, with 16 percent in a moderate drought. This is a modest rise - of around 5 percent - from the prior week - but not that notable.
Drought maps don't tell the full story - though. The hot and dry weather is causing moisture to leave plants faster than usual over almost the entire state. This experimental National Weather Service Product called the Evaporation Demand Drought Index (EDDI) shows how much the atmosphere is trying to pull water out of plants. The areas in yellow are experiencing evaporation levels around 70 to 80% above normal. In orange, the levels are 80-90% above normal! This can lead to highly localized flash-drought conditions, and can prime fuels for wildfires.
Looking ahead, the Climate Prediction Center has high chances for a very dry summer in Colorado...especially in the Four Corners region, because of a developing La Niña.
Temperatures are also likely to stay toasty for the summer season...with unusually strong chances for significantly above average temperatures statewide.
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