Colorado Drought Monitor - First Alert Weather - CBS News
Get the latest forecast from the First Alert weather team at KCNC-TV CBS Colorado.
www.cbsnews.comHere are the latest publicly reported updates on Colorado drought:
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May 2025: Colorado entered May with expanding drought conditions overall. The U.S. Drought Monitor indicated several Front Range counties (including Denver, Jefferson, Arapahoe, and Douglas) reaching Abnormally Dry conditions, with western Colorado seeing worsening drought moving toward more severe levels in some areas. In response, Denver Water enacted its seasonal watering rules to conserve water from May 1 to October 1. This indicates that drought pressures were beginning to mount and water managers were implementing conservation measures.[1]
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May 13–13, 2026: A spring snowstorm provided some relief but not a dramatic improvement. Reports noted that the most significant reductions occurred in the Extreme Drought category, with improvements shifting some areas to Severe Drought, and a broader but modest statewide improvement overall. Despite these gains, a large portion of the state (notably the eastern plains and many mountain-recharge zones) remained under drought concerns, and water managers cautioned that snowpack and reservoir levels were still well below typical norms. This suggests drought remains a persistent risk even after precipitating events.[2][3]
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Ongoing context: Western Colorado has historically faced drought from severe to extreme levels, driven by below-average snowpack and low spring precipitation. Even after storms, climatologists emphasize that durable drought relief requires sustained moisture and cooler conditions to rebuild snowpack and reservoir inflows.[4]
Key takeaways
- Drought conditions have fluctuated, with some weeks showing modest improvements but broad ongoing drought stress across much of the state.
- Front Range and eastern plains areas have been particularly sensitive, with water-use restrictions and conservation measures commonly employed by utilities during drought periods.
- Snowpack and reservoir recovery remain critical factors for meaningful drought relief in Colorado.
If you’d like, I can pull the most current daily drought maps and summarize which regions are in which categories right now, or set up a quick comparison table of drought categories over the past few weeks. I can also provide practical tips for residents in Miami (your location) who rely on imported Colorado water, or for travelers planning to visit Colorado during drought season.