Parts of southern Colo. show signs of drought

While parts of Colorado’s High Country have gotten plenty of snow, parts of southern Colorado are showing signs of drought.

The U.S. Drought Monitor lists the entire Lower Arkansas Valley east of Pueblo as having severe drought conditions. The Rio Grande basin is categorized as abnormally dry. The areas haven’t seen significant rainfall since mid-summer.

The Pueblo Chieftain reports that the snowpack in the Rio Grande is the lowest in the state at 77 percent of average. In western Colorado, meanwhile, the Upper Colorado River basin is at 142 percent.

Snowpack totals early in the season aren’t generally considered a reliable indicator of the following year’s water supply, however. Most of Colorado’s snow falls in the late winter and early spring.

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