Colorado Drought Monitor - First Alert Weather - CBS Colorado
Get the latest forecast from the First Alert weather team at KCNC-TV CBS Colorado.
www.cbsnews.comHere are the latest Colorado drought updates I could locate:
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May 2025: Colorado enters May with expanding drought conditions. Abnormal dryness and worsening drought categories were reported in several Front Range counties (including Denver metro area) and western Colorado saw Severe to Extreme drought intensifying. Denver Water instituted its annual summer watering rules (May 1–October 1) to conserve resources. [CBS News, May 1, 2025][1]
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May 13, 2026: After a spring snowstorm, Colorado drought conditions showed some statewide improvement, with the Extreme Drought category dropping and parts of the northeastern plains, along with Denver and nearby counties, improving to Severe Drought. However, a large portion of the state remained under at least Severe Drought, and snowpack benefits were not uniform. [CBS News, May 13, 2026][2]
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May 13, 2026 (local recap): A related report noted that the spring storm provided some relief to drought conditions, especially in north-central and northeastern regions, but overall drought relief was limited and reservoirs remained below normal. Farmers on the eastern plains described ongoing water supply concerns. [Denver7, May 13, 2026][3]
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Ongoing statewide context: Western Colorado continued to experience severe to extreme drought in various areas, with climate experts emphasizing that substantial and sustained moisture is needed to reverse the trend. [CBS News, Sept 2025; CBS News drought monitor pages],[4][7]
Notes and context:
- Drought classifications range from Abnormally Dry to Moderate, Severe, Extreme, and Exceptional Drought. Recent reports indicate that even when improvements occur, large swaths of the state often remain in drought-affected categories, impacting water supply and agriculture.[1][2][4]
- Water agencies in Colorado continue to implement conservation measures and watering restrictions during peak irrigation seasons to manage limited resources. The specific measures can vary by utility and county.[2][3][1]
Would you like me to pull more recent local weather service updates (e.g., U.S. Drought Monitor maps, NOAA climate forecasts) or provide a map highlighting current drought categories by county? I can also summarize impacts on reservoirs, agriculture, or urban water supply for your area.