Watch CBS News

Colorado Declared Drought-Free For First Time In 5 Years, But Don't Get Too Complacent

DENVER (CBS4) - Thanks to a wet spring and early summer the drought in Colorado is officially over for now.

The U.S. Drought Monitor removed drought in a report dated June 16. At that time 26% of the state remained abnormally dry.

That number had dropped to 2% as of July 14.

"Abnormally dry is sometimes thought of as 'pre-drought' or 'drought watch' when an area is coming out of drought," said Noah Newman with Colorado Climate Center.

For a better understanding of how drought is monitored click here to see a short video.

Drought Monitor
(credit: CBS)

The last time Colorado was officially declared drought-free was June 15, 2010.

But it didn't last long.

Drought started creeping back into the picture just three months later and within two short years the entire state was in drought.

While the news this year is good, don't get too complacent.

Drought is a frequent visitor to a land-locked state like Colorado where the nearest source of moisture is roughly 1,000 miles away.

We depend on weather patterns to transport that moisture from either the Gulf of Mexico, the Pacific Ocean or a combination of both.

RELATED: All Eyes On El Niño After Front Range Weather Station Records 30" Of Precip Since Jan. 1

In the short-term the outlook for more wet weather looks good with El Niño expected to last through the fall.

It's a much different story in states just to our west where moderate to extreme and even exceptional drought grips much of the region.

Millions have their fingers crossed that changing weather patterns in the months ahead will bring some relief.

Drought Monitor_1
(credit: CBS)

Meteorologist Chris Spears writes about stories related to weather and climate in Colorado. Check out his bio or follow him on Twitter @ChrisCBS4.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.