Dryness is on the rise in Colorado, according to the US Drought Monitor, with 52.34 percent of the state considered to be “abnormally dry” or worse. The most severe dryness is found in the southwest region.

In the portion of the state that’s experiencing dryness, 26.9 percent of the area is dry enough to be considered in technical drought, with ‘extreme drought’ – the third of four severity tiers of drought – creeping in for the first time in months. While the southern portion of the state that’s at this level of drought encompasses just 1.31 percent of the state’s total area, “extreme drought” hasn’t been present since May of 2023. It’s also worth noting that this is the largest portion of the state to be considered ‘abnormally dry or worse’ since May, as well.

With Colorado’s dryness on the rise, the state’s snowpack is also well below the norm for this time of the year. As of November 17, the state is at 48 percent of the snowpack norm for the date, thanks to lack of snow and warmer temperatures.

With the exception of Grand Junction, the state’s most populated areas are escaping dryness for now, including Denver, Colorado Springs, Fort Collins, and Pueblo.

Explore more drought-related data here.