Drought in Central Gunnison and Uncompahgre River Basin, Colorado

At the beginning of the month of August, the US Drought Monitor analyzed an area of Extreme (D3) Drought that covered roughly 2/3 of Colorado Zone 011 - Central Gunnison and Uncompahgre River Basin. With the 8/13/25 US Drought Monitor update, an area of Exceptional (D4) Drought was analyzed as covering roughly 10% of the zone, with no change to the remaining areas of Extreme (D3) Drought. With the 8/20/25 US Drought Monitor Update, the area of Extreme (D3) Drought was expanded to cover the entire zone, with roughly 10% experiencing worse, Exceptional (D4) Drought conditions. These conditions remained unchanged from the 8/20/25 update through the end of the month.

The month of August continued where July left off, with overall above normal temperatures and below normal precipitation. In particular, the lower elevations of eastern Utah and western Colorado showed the greatest departures in both temperatures and precipitation. As a result, Extreme (D3) Drought either remained unchanged in coverage, or expanded through the month.