Drought in La Sal & Abajo Mountains, Utah

At the beginning of the month of October, the US Drought Monitor analyzed an area of Extreme (D3) Drought as covering roughly 5% of Utah Zone 028 - La Sal and Abajo Mountains, with the remaining 95% under Severe (D2) Drought conditions. Significant improvements were noted with the 10/14 Drought Monitor update. Extreme (D3) Drought conditions were removed and Moderate (D1) Drought conditions were introduced. Severe (D2) Drought conditions now covered roughly 75% of the zone, with the remaining 15% under Moderate (D1) Drought conditions. With the 10/21 update, Abnormally Dry (D0) conditions were introduced. Severe (D2) Drought was reduced to 20% coverage, with Moderate (D1) Drought covering 50% of the zone, and the remaining 30% under Abnormally Dry (D0) conditions. No substantial changes were noted between this point and the end of the month.

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.