The U.S. Drought Monitor says 24.31 percent of Colorado falls into the category, including much of the Denver metro and areas to the east and south. The report also says 91 percent of the state is “abnormally dry,” including nearly all of the high country.
“A dry October resulted in the expansion of abnormally dry conditions in the northern half of New Mexico as well as across much of Colorado,” the report said. “Colorado also saw a widespread expansion of moderate drought along the higher elevations east of the Continental Divide, along the Front Range corridor, and across the eastern plains.”
Last week, the Drought Monitor report found that about 65 percent of Colorado was abnormally dry and roughly 6 percent had moderate drought conditions.
November 1: Extreme to exceptional drought conditions are affecting nearly 39.5 million Americans
— NOAA NCEI (@NOAANCEI)
Forecasters say there . Jim Kalina, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Boulder, said earlier this week that there won’t be any major cool-off in the near future and that the Climate Prediction Center is calling for above-normal temperatures through November.
The warmth has hit Colorado’s ski areas hard as they gear up to start the season. The unseasonably warm weather has made snowmaking limited to impossible.
Keystone Resort announced Tuesday that from Friday to a tentative Nov. 11 date because of the heat.
