Drought in Tavaputs Plateau, Utah

At the beginning of the month of October, the US Drought Monitor analyzed an area of Extreme (D3) Drought as covering 60% of Utah Zone 025 - Tavaputs Plateau, with the remaining 40% under Severe (D2) Drought. With the 10/14 Drought Monitor update, significant improvements were noted. Extreme (D3) Drought was completely removed and Moderate (D1) Drought was introduced. Severe (D2) Drought now covered 95% of the zone, with 5% of the zone under Moderate (D1) Drought. With the 10/21 update, Severe (D2) Drought was reduced to 15%, and Moderate (D1) Drought was increased to 85% coverage. From this point through the end of the month, no significant changed were noted.

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.