Drought in Roan and Tavaputs Plateaus, Colorado

At the beginning of the month of April, the US Drought Monitor analyzed an area of Exceptional (D4) Drought conditions as covering approximately 50% of Colorado Zone 003 - Roan and Tavaputs Plateaus, with the remainder of the zone under Extreme (D3) Drought conditions. Conditions remained unchanged for most of the month. With the 4/29 US Drought Monitor update, the coverage of Exceptional (D4) Drought was reduced to just 2% of the zone, with the remaining 98% of the zone under Extreme (D3) Drought. While there have been no direct effects from the drought noted as yet, there is increasing unease among those who live and work in this zone. There are concerns over water availability through the summer for ranching and farming, as well as drinking water quality and sourcing. There is also increasing concern over what the current drought means for the summer wildfire season.

The month of April saw weather closer to that expected for the time of year. While temperatures did end up being, on average, warmer than normal, the departures were significantly less compared to the month of March. The mountains saw a few solid snowfalls during the month, as well as some precipitation across the lower elevations. Areas north of I-70 generally fared the best. Locations in this region did see some improvement in drought conditions. Areas south of I-70 generally remained the same or worsened slightly.