Drought in Elkhead and Park Mountains, Colorado

At the beginning of the month of April, the US Drought Monitor analyzed an area of Exceptional (D4) Drought as covering 100% of Colorado Zone 004 - Elkhead and Park Mountains. Drought conditions remained unchanged through the end of the month. The only impacts from the drought at this point are the poor snowpack conditions in the higher elevations of the zone, where the snowpack has been deemed historically bad by the Colorado State Climatologist. Those living and working in the zone are beginning to express concern over what the drought and lack of snow means for the summer wildfire season, as well as what it means for reservoir water allocation, drinking water quality, and overall water availability through the rest of the year.

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.