Drought in Grand Valley, Colorado

At the beginning of the month of October, the US Drought Monitor analyzed an area of Extreme (D3) Drought as covering roughly 30% of Colorado Zone 006 - Grand Valley, with Severe (D2) Drought covering 65% of the zone, and Moderate (D1) Drought covering the remaining 5%. With the 10/14 Drought Monitor update, significant improvement was noted. Extreme (D3) Drought was completely removed, with Severe (D2) Drought now reduced to covering 15% of the zone, and Moderate (D1) Drought conditions increased to covering 75% of the zone. Abnormally Dry (D0) conditions were also introduced at this point, covering the remaining 10% of the zone. With the 10/21 update, the coverage of Severe (D2) Drought was reduced to 5%, and Moderate (D1) Drought coverage increased to 85% of the zone. No change was noted in coverage of Abnormally Dry (D0) conditions. From this point through the end of the month, no substantial changes in drought conditions occurred.

A dry end to September and a dry start to October kept drought conditions consistent across much of eastern Utah and western Colorado at the start of the month. However, the arrival of deep tropical moisture from the remnants of Tropical Storms Priscilla and Raymond helped to substantially improve drought conditions, especially across southwest Colorado. In this region, drought was completely eradicated. Only portions of northeast Utah and northwest Colorado, where the deep tropical moisture did not reach, saw drought conditions persist more or less unchanged.