Durango and other parts of La Plata County remain in a severe drought despite an abundance of rainfall during the past week, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.
The National Weather Service Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service recorded 1.5 to 2 inches of rain in Durango during the last two weeks. However, the U.S. Drought Monitor indicates much of the lower elevation areas in La Plata County remain in a “severe drought,” including Bayfield and Ignacio.
Areas south of Durango received above-average rain during the last two weeks, giving meteorologists optimism that drought conditions could improve in coming weeks in Southwest Colorado.
“With the amount of rain you've been getting, I can't see how it's not going to improve your conditions,” said NWS Meteorologists Tom Renwick.
Areas near the New Mexico border received 2 to 3 inches or rain during the last two weeks, and areas near the Mesa Mountains received 3 to 4 inches.
Renwick said despite the amount of rain in June and July, the precipitation totals at the Durango-La Plata County Airport remain below normal values. The average amount of moisture from January through July is 6.69 inches whereas the airport has measured only 5.41 inches so far this year.
“I expect this is because of the winter; January and February can be kind of dry down there,” Renwick said. “Last year, at this time, you had 6.95 inches of rain.”
Renwick said the monsoon is expected to keep delivering moisture during the next couple of weeks. He said a large storm plume hanging over Southwest Colorado could deliver showers every day through Aug. 10. However, the chances for rain diminish on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Areas of Montezuma County near the Ute Mountain Ute Reservation are still experiencing extreme drought. During the last two weeks, the southwest corner of the state received 0.25 to 0.5 inches of rain.
Renwick said southwest Montezuma County could begin to see more moisture as the monsoonal plume shifts west.
He said it all depends on how much moisture the plume obtains off the Gulf of Mexico and how it shifts after going through Arizona and New Mexico.
“It grabs moisture from the Gulf of Mexico and brings it up through the country of Mexico, and enters Arizona and New Mexico, and then depending on what systems are moving through, that plume of moisture can shift,” Renwick said.
Colorado Basin River Forecast Center Senior Hydrologist Brenda Alcorn said the storms have helped the area but Southwest Colorado remains in a long-term drought.
“This monsoon moisture, it can produce some short-term improvements,” Alcorn said. “But it's not going to really do a whole lot for this drought longer term.”
A better snowpack and spring runoff is needed to increase reservoir levels, as well as deeper penetration of soil moisture, to improve the long-term drought situation, she said.
tbrown@durangoheraldcom
