Drought in Central Colorado River Basin, 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 008 - Central Colorado River Basin. Drought conditions in this zone remained unchanged through the end of the month. Drought impacts in this zone are mainly in economic losses due to poor winter tourism, as many towns have ski area or other winter-sports oriented businesses. Additionally, there is growing concern over what the lack of snow and the 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.