The recent pile up of snow in southern Colorado is helping to ease the state’s drought conditions. KRCC’s Dana Cronin reports.
The U.S. Drought Monitor says about 63% of the sate is dealing with abnormally dry or drought conditions compared with 72% at this time last year.
The precipitation in southern Colorado is above average, says Larry Walrod, a lead forecaster with the National Weather Service in Pueblo. Walrod also says NOAA recently released an El Niño advisory.
"Typically what that correlates to here is a wetter than average period here in southern Colorado," says Walrod. "So after a brief break here for about a week or ten days, we do look to get back into a wetter pattern again for the middle and later part of March, through April, and even into May."
Walrod says despite the recent upswing in snow, the state is still within a long-term dry spell.
Still, no region in Colorado currently faces exceptional or extreme drought, and Walrod says he’s optimistic for continued improved conditions.
