Colorado’s drought conditions aren’t getting any better, but they’re also not getting any worse.
That’s according to State Climatologist Nolan Doesken. He says in the past week, Colorado has seen slight changes in both temperature and moisture.
“So overall the combination of cooler temperatures and some—lot a lot, but some—precipitation has meant that conditions have sort of stabilized,” he said.
The statement comes on the heels of a weekly Climate, Water and Drought Assessment summary of the Upper Colorado River Basin, prepared by the National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS). Doesken says a change in weather patterns—from a La Nina to a weak- to moderate-El Nino influence—could lead to more precipitation this fall.
“It doesn’t guarantee beneficial moisture, but it tilts the odds in that direction,” said Doesken.
But the bad news for farmers is there’s no major precipitation expected for Colorado in the short term.
Hot and dry weather across much of the U.S. has led to millions of damaged crops this year. Bloomberg News reported today that the cost to private crop insurers could exceed $5 billion dollars.
