National Weather Service Text Product Display

Drought Information Statement
Issued by NWS Pueblo, CO
Versions: 1 2 3 4 5
000
AXUS75 KPUB 110344
DGTPUB
COC003-009-011-015-021-023-025-027-041-043-055-061-065-071-079-089-
099-101-105-109-119-180345-

DROUGHT INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO
944 PM MDT FRI MAY 10 2013

...A COOL AND WET APRIL HELPS BOOST SNOWPACK ACROSS NORTHERN
AND CENTRAL COLORADO...

SYNOPSIS...UPDATED

OVER THE PAST TWO MONTHS...PRECIPITATION TOTALS OVER NORTHERN AND
CENTRAL PORTIONS OF THE STATE HAVE RANGED FROM 125 TO 175 PERCENT
OF NORMAL...DUE TO A COOL NORTHWEST FLOW WEATHER PATTERN. THIS
COOL AND WET WEATHER PATTERN HAS ALLOWED FOR SOME IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE DROUGHT ACROSS THE CENTRAL MOUNTAINS AND PORTIONS OF THE UPPER
ARKANSAS RIVER VALLEY. HOWEVER...THIS WEATHER PATTERN DID NOT
BRING MUCH PRECIPITATION TO WESTERN AND SOUTHEASTERN PORTIONS OF
THE STATE...WITH PRECIPITATION TOTALS OVER THE PAST TWO MONTHS
RANGING FROM 25 TO 50 PERCENT OF NORMAL ACROSS MOST OF THE REST OF
SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST COLORADO.

WITH THIS IN MIND...THE CURRENT US DROUGHT MONITOR CONTINUES TO
INDICATE MOST OF SOUTHEASTERN COLORADO IN EXCEPTIONAL (D4) DROUGHT
CONDITIONS. THIS INCLUDES SOUTHEASTERN PORTIONS OF EL PASO
COUNTY...CENTRAL AND EASTERN PORTIONS OF PUEBLO COUNTY...CENTRAL
AND EASTERN PORTIONS OF LAS ANIMAS COUNTY...AS WELL AS ALL OF
CROWLEY...OTERO...KIOWA...BENT...PROWERS AND BACA COUNTIES.

EXTREME DROUGHT (D3) CONDITIONS CONTINUE TO BE INDICATED ACROSS
NORTH CENTRAL THROUGH SOUTHEASTERN FREMONT COUNTY...SOUTHWESTERN
THROUGH EAST CENTRAL TELLER COUNTY AND MOST OF THE REST OF PUEBLO
AND EL PASO COUNTIES. EXTREME DROUGHT (D3) CONDITIONS ALSO REMAIN
INDICATED ACROSS EASTERN HUERFANO COUNTY AND WESTERN LAS ANIMAS
COUNTY.

SEVERE DROUGHT (D2) CONDITIONS CONTINUE TO BE DEPICTED ACROSS
SOUTHWESTERN THROUGH EAST CENTRAL CHAFFEE COUNTY...NORTHWESTERN
THROUGH SOUTHEASTERN FREMONT COUNTY...NORTHERN TELLER
COUNTY...NORTHWESTERN EL PASO COUNTY...EXTREME WESTERN PUEBLO
COUNTY...WESTERN HUERFANO COUNTY AND EXTREME NORTHWESTERN LAS
ANIMAS COUNTY...AS WELL AS ALL OF CUSTER...SAGUACHE...RIO
GRANDE...CONEJOS...ALAMOSA AND COSTILLA COUNTIES.

MODERATE DROUGHT (D1) CONDITIONS REMAIN ACROSS LAKE COUNTY AND
NORTHERN AND WESTERN PORTIONS OF CHAFFEE COUNTY.

MORE INFORMATION ON THE US DROUGHT MONITOR CLASSIFICATION SCHEME CAN
BE FOUND AT: WWW.DROUGHTMONITOR.UNL.EDU/CLASSIFY.HTM

SUMMARY OF IMPACTS...

DROUGHT CONDITIONS EXPERIENCED OVER THE PAST TWO YEARS HAS IMPACTED
SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST COLORADO IN MANY WAYS...INCLUDING
INCREASED WILDFIRE ACTIVITY AND DANGER...FAILED AND POOR YIELD ON
NON IRRIGATED CROPS...CATTLE LOSS AND ABANDONMENT...AS WELL AS
QUESTIONS ON WATER AVAILABILITY AND WATER RIGHTS.

AS A RESULT OF THE PERSISTENT DRY CONDITIONS...GOVERNOR HICKENLOOPER
HAS ACTIVATED THE STATES DROUGHT RESPONSE AND MITIGATION PLAN TO
ENSURE THAT THE STATE IS DOING EVERYTHING POSSIBLE TO ADDRESS
THESE DROUGHT RELATED IMPACTS. MANY LOCAL COMMUNITIES HAVE ALSO
IMPLEMENTED DROUGHT RESPONSE MEASURES...INCLUDING MANDATORY WATERING
RESTRICTIONS.

THE FOLLOWING WEBSITE HAS BEEN DEVELOPED TO HELP INDIVIDUALS
DETERMINE WHAT THE RESTRICTIONS IN THEIR SPECIFIC COMMUNITY ARE:
WWW.COH2O.CO

FIRE DANGER IMPACTS...

SOME BENEFICIAL MOISTURE HAS BEEN RECEIVED ACROSS PORTIONS OF SOUTH
CENTRAL AND SOUTH COLORADO OVER THE PAST FEW MONTHS. HOWEVER...THIS
HAS NOT BEEN ENOUGH TO ACCELERATE GREEN UP AND ALLEVIATE THE
MODERATE TO HIGH FIRE DANGER ACROSS THE AREA...WITH SEVERAL SMALL
WILD FIRE STARTS REPORTED ACROSS THE AREA OVER THE PAST FEW MONTHS.

A CONTINUED LACK OF MOISTURE...ALONG WITH INCREASING TEMPERATURES AND
THE START OF THE CONVECTIVE SEASON...WILL LIKELY KEEP HIGH FIRE
DANGER ACROSS THE AREA AND COULD LEAD TO MORE LOCAL GOVERNMENTS
INSTITUTING FIRE RESTRICTIONS OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL MONTHS.

THE LATEST INFORMATION ON FIRE BANS AND RESTRICTIONS CAN BE FOUND AT:

WWW.COEMERGENCY.COM/P/FIRE-BANS-DANGER.HTML

AGRICULTURAL IMPACTS...

THE LATEST CPC AND VIC SOIL MOISTURE CALCULATIONS INDICATE SOME
IMPROVEMENTS IN CONDITIONS ACROSS NORTHERN AND CENTRAL PORTIONS OF
THE STATE. HOWEVER...DRIER TO MUCH DRIER THAN NORMAL SOIL MOISTURE
CONDITIONS REMAIN DEPICTED ACROSS MOST OF SOUTH CENTRAL AND
SOUTHEAST COLORADO...WITH THE LARGEST DEFICITS INDICATED ACROSS
CENTRAL PORTIONS OF THE SOUTHEAST PLAINS.

THE LATEST USDA COLORADO CROP REPORT ALSO SUPPORTS THE DRY CONDITIONS
ACROSS THE STATE...WITH 46 PERCENT OF TOP SOIL MOISTURE RATED AT
SHORT OR VERY SHORT ACROSS THE STATE. THIS COMPARES TO 44 PERCENT
OF TOP SOIL MOISTURE RATED AT SHORT OF VERY SHORT LAST WEEK AND
TO ONLY 36 PERCENT AT THIS SAME TIME LAST YEAR. AS FOR SUBSOIL
MOISTURE ACROSS THE STATE...74 PERCENT WAS RATED AT SHORT OF VERY
SHORT THIS WEEK...COMPARED TO 80 PERCENT LAST WEEK AND TO ONLY 47
PERCENT AT THIS SAME TIME LAST YEAR.

THE LATEST PASTURE AND RANGE LAND CONDITIONS WERE RATED 73
PERCENT POOR TO VERY POOR...COMPARED TO THE FIVE YEAR AVERAGE OF
ONLY 32 PERCENT RATED AS POOR TO VERY POOR.

THE COLORADO CROP REPORT ALSO INDICATES ONLY 13 PERCENT OF THE
WINTER WHEAT CROP REACHING THE JOINTING STATE AT THIS TIME. THIS
IS WELL BEHIND THE 65 PERCENT RECORDED LAST YEAR AND THE OVERALL
AVERAGE OF 50 PERCENT FOR THIS TIME OF THE YEAR.

CLIMATE SUMMARY...

THE AVERAGE TEMPERATURE IN PUEBLO FOR THE PAST MONTH OF APRIL WAS
3.9 DEGREES BELOW NORMAL...MAKING APRIL OF 2013 TIED AS THE 11TH
COLDEST ON RECORD. PUEBLO RECEIVED 0.30 INCHES OF PRECIPITATION
ALONG WITH 3.4 INCHES OF SNOW THROUGH OUT THE MONTH...WHICH IS
1.10 INCHES AND 0.4 INCHES BELOW NORMAL...RESPECTIVELY.

THE AVERAGE TEMPERATURE IN COLORADO SPRINGS FOR THE PAST MONTH OF
APRIL WAS 3.8 DEGREES BELOW NORMAL...MAKING IT THE 23RD COLDEST
APRIL ON RECORD. COLORADO SPRINGS RECEIVED 0.33 INCHES OF
PRECIPITATION THROUGH OUT THE MONTH...WHICH IS 1.09 INCHES BELOW
NORMAL AND MAKES APRIL OF 2013 THE 14TH DRIEST ON RECORD. COLORADO
SPRINGS ALSO RECEIVED 3.6 INCHES OF SNOW THROUGH OUT THE MONTH OF
APRIL...WHICH IS 1.3 INCHES BELOW NORMAL.

THE AVERAGE TEMPERATURE IN ALAMOSA FOR THE PAST MONTH OF APRIL WAS
0.5 DEGREES BELOW NORMAL. ALAMOSA RECEIVED 0.32 INCHES OF
PRECIPITATION AND 2.2 INCHES OF SNOW THROUGH OUT THE MONTH...WHICH
IS 0.27 INCHES AND 1.3 INCHES BELOW NORMAL...RESPECTIVELY.

HERE ARE A FEW OTHER STATISTICS FOR SELECT LOCATIONS INDICATING
OBSERVED PRECIPITATION TOTALS AND DEPARTURE FROM NORMALS:

...............PAST........PAST 3......PAST 6.......PAST 365.........
...............MONTH.......MONTHS......MONTHS.......DAYS.............
...............TOTAL/DEP...TOTAL/DEP...TOTAL/DEP....TOTAL/DEP........
...............INCHES......INCHES......INCHES.......INCHES...........


ALS AIRPORT    0.32/-0.27  0.81/-0.57  1.77/-0.68   5.82/-1.49
COS AIRPORT    0.33/-1.09  1.41/-1.35  1.87/-1.95   8.48/-8.06
PUB AIRPORT    0.30/-1.10  0.72/-1.91  1.23/-2.60   4.39/-8.18

EADS           0.44/-1.00  1.33/-1.49  1.79/-2.21   8.73/-6.95
HASWELL        0.18/-1.18  0.66/-2.07  0.75/-3.18   7.20/-8.14
LAMAR          0.15/-1.17  0.57/-1.96  0.94/-2.67   5.44/-9.76
CAMPO 7S       0.34/-0.99  0.96/-1.75  2.08/-1.89  10.55/-6.41
WALSH 1W       0.46/-1.10  1.20/-1.93  2.52/-2.24  15.39/-3.77
LA JUNTA 20S   0.74/-0.83  2.38/-0.91  3.02/-1.89   8.64/-6.65
LAS ANIMAS     0.29/-0.95  0.87/-1.71  0.87/-2.88   4.70/-9.03
KIM 15NNE      0.47/-1.24  2.96/-0.52  3.34/-2.06   9.08/-7.76
RUSH 1N        0.35/-1.13  1.40/-1.11  1.78/-1.65   7.45/-7.50
FLORISSANT FB  0.36/-1.22  1.44/-1.79  1.85/-3.01  11.65/-5.23
CANON CITY     0.89/-0.64  2.03/-1.10  2.76/-2.05   8.56/-4.91
WESTCLIFFE     1.08/-0.50  2.58/-0.78  3.82/-1.73  10.89/-3.66
WALSENBURG     1.04/-1.14  3.39/-1.66  4.73/-3.48  10.41/-7.63
TRINIDAD       1.10/-0.18  2.32/-0.70  2.86/-2.79   7.12/-9.19
CRESTONE 2SE   0.73/-0.39  2.09/-0.58  3.71/-0.74  10.86/-2.40
DEL NORTE 2E   0.67/-0.16  1.00/-1.02  2.36/-1.17   7.91/-2.65
BUENA VISTA 2S 1.38/+0.38  2.23/+0.12  2.94/-0.27  10.29/-0.30
CLIMAX         3.03/+0.55  7.34/+0.82 10.79/-1.59  21.78/-2.20

HYDROLOGIC SUMMARY...UPDATED

THE STATE RECEIVED ABOVE AVERAGE PRECIPITATION DURING APRIL WHICH
PRIMARILY OCCURRED AS SNOW...AND BROUGHT SNOWPACK TOTALS TO NEAR
NORMAL LEVELS IN THE NORTHERN BASINS. UNFORTUNATELY THE SOUTHERN
PORTION OF THE STATE DID NOT BENEFIT FROM THESE STORM SYSTEMS.

THE STATEWIDE SNOWPACK REPORTED A SIGNIFICANT GAIN OVER THE PAST
MONTH WITH THE MAY 1ST READING OF 83 PERCENT OF AVERAGE
OVERALL...UP 9 PERCENT FROM THE 74 PERCENT OF AVERAGE OVERALL ON
APRIL 1ST. THE WATERSHEDS IN THE NORTHERN PART OF THE STATE SAW
THE LARGEST BENEFIT FORM THE SNOWY APRIL...POSTING INCREASES
BETWEEN 15 AND 28 PERCENT. UNFORTUNATELY...BASINS TO THE SOUTH SAW
20 TO 30 PERCENT DECREASES IN SNOWPACK.

IN THE ARKANSAS BASIN...THE MAY 1ST SNOWPACK INCREASED 9 PERCENT
TO 82 PERCENT OF AVERAGE OVERALL AND 291 PERCENT OF THIS SAME
TIME LAST YEAR. THIS SPRINGS WEATHER PATTERNS DEFINITELY FAVORED
THE HEADWATERS PORTION OF THE BASIN WITH THE UPPER ARKANSAS SUB
BASIN INCREASING FROM 78 PERCENT OF AVERAGE ON APRIL 1ST TO 93
PERCENT OF AVERAGE ON MAY 1ST. ON THE OTHER HAND...THE PURGATORIE
SUB BASIN SNOWPACK DROPPED FROM 48 PERCENT OF AVERAGE ON APRIL 1ST
TO JUST 17 PERCENT OF AVERAGE ON MAY 1ST. THE CUCHARAS AND
HUERFANO SUB BASIN SNOWPACK ALSO SAW DECREASES FROM 62 PERCENT OF
AVERAGE ON APRIL 1ST TO 50 PERCENT OF AVERAGE ON MAY 1ST.

IN THE RIO GRANDE BASIN...THE MAY 1ST SNOW PACK AGAIN DECREASED
SIGNIFICANTLY TO 41 PERCENT OF AVERAGE OVERALL FROM 69 PERCENT OF
AVERAGE OVERALL LAST MONTH. THIS IS THE LOWEST SNOWPACK PERCENTAGE
REPORTED STATEWIDE.

OVERALL RESERVOIR STORAGE CONTINUES TO RUN WELL BELOW AVERAGE ACROSS
SOUTHERN COLORADO. STORAGE IN ARKANSAS BASIN THE AT THE END APRIL
WAS AT 52 PERCENT OF AVERAGE OVERALL...AND 10 PERCENT LOWER THAN
THE AMOUNT OF STORAGE AVAILABLE AT THIS TIME LAST YEAR. STORAGE
IN THE UPPER RIO GRANDE BASIN AT THE END OF APRIL WAS AT 54
PERCENT OF AVERAGE OVERALL AND 77 PERCENT OF THE STORAGE PRESENT
LAST YEAR AT THIS TIME.

WHILE NORTHERN BASINS ARE INDICATING SOME IMPROVEMENTS IN STREAM
FLOW FORECASTS OVER THE PAST MONTH...THE MOST RECENT STREAM FLOW
FORECASTS CONTINUE TO POINT TO BELOW TO WELL BELOW NORMAL VOLUMES
IN ALL THE MAJOR RIVER BASINS THROUGH OUT THE SPRING AND SUMMER.

PRECIPITATION/TEMPERATURE OUTLOOK...UPDATED

THE CLIMATE PREDICTION CENTERS OUTLOOK ACROSS SOUTH CENTRAL AND
SOUTHEAST COLORADO FOR THE NEXT TWO WEEKS INCLUDES A SLIGHT NOD
TO ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES ALONG WITH EQUAL CHANCES OF
ABOVE...BELOW AND NEAR NORMAL PRECIPITATION. THE OUTLOOK FOR THE
REST OF MAY...JUNE AND JULY INDICATE BETTER CHANCES FOR ABOVE
NORMAL TEMPERATURES ALONG WITH A SLIGHT TILT TO BELOW NORMAL
PRECIPITATION.

NEXT ISSUANCE DATE...UPDATED

THIS PRODUCT WILL BE UPDATED BY THURSDAY JUNE 6TH...2013 OR
SOONER...IF NECESSARY IN RESPONSE TO SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN
CONDITIONS.

&&

RELATED WEB SITES...

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON CURRENT DROUGHT CONDITIONS MAY BE FOUND AT
THE FOLLOWING WEB ADDRESSES /USE LOWER CASE LETTERS/:

U.S. DROUGHT MONITOR: HTTP://DROUGHTMONITOR.UNL.EDU

SOUTHEAST AND SOUTH CENTRAL COLORADO PRECIPITATION AND DROUGHT
MONITOR: HTTP://WWW.CRH.NOAA.GOV/PUB/?N=NEW_LOCAL_DROUGHT_PAGE.PHP

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS...

THE DROUGHT MONITOR IS A MULTI-AGENCY EFFORT INVOLVING
NOAA/S NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AND NATIONAL CLIMATIC
DATA CENTER...THE USDA...STATE AND REGIONAL CENTER
CLIMATOLOGISTS AND THE NATIONAL DROUGHT MITIGATION
CENTER. INFORMATION FOR THIS STATEMENT HAS BEEN GATHERED
FROM NWS AND FAA OBSERVATION SITES...STATE COOPERATIVE
EXTENSION SERVICES...THE USDA...USACE AND USGS.

QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS...

IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ABOUT THIS DROUGHT
INFORMATION STATEMENT...PLEASE CONTACT...

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
3 EATON WAY
PUEBLO CO 81007
PHONE: 719-948-9429
W-PUB.WEBMASTER@NOAA.GOV

$$

MW

$$
National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office
