Latest Snowstorm Didn't Halt The Drought, But It Will Help Farmers A Bit

FORT COLLINS, Colo. (CBS4) - Sunday's snowstorm dumped close to a foot of snow across the Front Range, but that barely put a dent in our severe ongoing drought.

The state's snowpack is still at just 75 percent of average for late February.

Wendy Ryan, a research associate at the climatology center at Colorado State University, said Monday that we have about a 5 inch deficit when it comes to water -- that's actual water -- not snow depth.

Ryan says it would take five more storms with the same strength of Sunday's storm to pull us out of that deficit.

Ryan says any moisture is good, though, and this latest storm will definitely help farmers.

"The moisture that we did get is going to be good for ag," Ryan said. "It's going to get some moisure on the ground for those winter wheat crops. The snow on the ground is going to protect that winter wheat from cold -- so they don't get any cold kill of it. And it will just bring up some soil moisture so that hopefully farmers can just get crops in the ground."

There is still hope out there that we can beat this drought before summer, considering March and April are typically two of Colorado's top snowiest months.