Drought in Central Colorado River Basin, Colorado

At the beginning of the month of February, the US Drought Monitor analyzed an area of Exceptional (D4) Drought as covering roughly 5% of Colorado Zone 008 - Central Colorado River Basin. Extreme (D3) Drought covered 85% of the zone, with the remaining 10% under Severe (D2) Drought. With the 2/4 Drought Monitor update, Exceptional (D4) Drought coverage remained unchanged at 5%, while Extreme (D3) Drought expanded to 90% zone coverage. Severe (D2) Drought shrank to 5% zone coverage. From this point through the end of the month, there were no changes to drought conditions in this zone. No reports of impacts or damages related to this drought have been received.

Above normal temperatures and below normal precipitation continued through the month of February. This led to a continued state of drought across eastern Utah and western Colorado, particularly along the northern and central Colorado Divide mountains. Extreme (D3) Drought saw expansion during the middle of the month, moving into portions of lower elevation northwest Colorado.