Drought conditions have split Colorado nearly in half this year, as rain has kept the Front Range and Eastern Plains green while the Western Slope has been bone dry. 

Since the beginning of May through Thursday the Colorado Springs Airport has received 7.59 inches of rain, about an inch above normal, said Peter Goble, the assistant state climatologist.

The city has seen 9.47 inches of rain so far this year, which is largely on pace with last year, when it received 9.8 inches through the end of July. But it is well behind 2023 when the city received more than 20 inches through the end of July, National Weather Service records show. 

For Goble the data reveals a strong wet-season for the region, but not a “banner” year. 

Colorado Springs receives on average 14 inches in a year, with May, June and July representing the wettest months.

The entire Front Range has see the similar above-average rainfall over the past 60 days, keeping the landscape healthier, Goble said. 

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The precipitation helps stave off wildfire danger, bolster river flows and can at times cause flooding when intense thunderstorms drop large amounts of water in a short period. 

The National Weather Service has issued 21 flash flood warnings for the Southeast Colorado region this year, largely on par with the 26 warnings the region saw last year, said Mike Garberoglio, meteorologist for the National Weather Service.

The agency does not track flood warnings for individual cities or counties. Forecasters do pay special attention to burn scars that can see intense flooding, but the Waldo Canyon fire scar is no longer a large risk and has been retired from tracking. 

Wet soils that can’t absorb any more water can increase flooding danger, but right now soil saturation is tracking on average, Garberoglio said. 

“Nothing that we are seeing in the data is of specific concern,” he said.

In the coming months, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicts warmer-than-average temperatures and below-average precipitation that could bring more people out to eat and drink and dry out the area, increasing fire risk. 

Over the fall, the Front Range doesn’t see much variation in the weather, so Goble doesn’t see a reason to get too discouraged by the forecast. 

“I would almost never bet against us having a large amount of beautiful, clear blue sky fall days,” he said. 

However, the forecast does not bode as well for the Western Slope, where conditions have dried out significantly, Goble said, because it doesn’t offer much of a chance for the area to catch up on needed precipitation. 

The western side of the state has seen five large fires break out in recent weeks. Perhaps the most notable, the South Rim fire closed the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park and burned 4,230 acres. 

In recent months, nearly all of the Western Slope has fallen into drought with some areas reaching extreme drought conditions, when city landscapes die and fish kills can take place, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.

The critical reservoirs along the Colorado River system, including Blue Mesa and McPhee, have also fallen well below average, but are still tracking above the worst drought years, Goble said.

Conversely, the reservoir system that serves Colorado Springs has healthy levels with enough water to serve the city for more than three years. The system has benefited from 7% lower demand compared to last year, as residents rely on the rain rather than irrigation to keep lawns and gardens thriving, according to Colorado Springs Utilities data. 

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The healthy lake levels will see the city through the dry months NOAA is predicting this fall, in addition to rules that prohibit watering during the day and other efficiency steps, said Jennifer Jordan, a spokeswoman for Utilities.

“Storage is how we balance the swing between wet and dry seasons,” she said in an email. “… We can ably manage through the dry months ahead.”

The rain hasn’t been as helpful for increasing the flows in rivers and streams, Goble said, because they rely largely on snowpack. 

But over the past seven days, the rain has increased flows in the Arkansas River and kept the corridor green and beautiful, said Billy Marquis, owner of Arkansas River Tours in Cañon City. 

He expects it will help keep the river levels higher and closer to average as the company finishes out the season that lasts into September. 

“As an outfitter we are pretty excited to have those conditions,” Marquis said. 

Dampening summer tourism 

While the rains have been welcome, they have also kept away visitors from Denver or other folks in nearby cities who might spontaneously drive to town for a weekend, said Doug Price, the president and CEO of Visit Colorado Springs. 

The city’s large summer events such as the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb provide a baseline of visitors, but hotels and restaurants rely on last-minute trips from Denver residents and other nearby cities during the most important tourism season. Colorado Springs sees 30% of its visitors from June through August, the highest level of any of the seasons. During the spring the city sees 26% of its visitors, in the fall it sees 24% and in the winter it sees 20%, Price said.  

Price said a warm, mild fall bodes well for tourism dependent businesses and they could also see a boost from the new Ford Amphitheater and the planned football showdown between the Air Force Academy and the U.S. Military Academy in November. A service academy game can have an economic impact of $12 million for the community, Price said. 

Tall grass feeds fires later 

The rain has kept fire danger at bay across the city and in the Eastern Plains in El Paso County, fire chiefs said, but the long, green grass nurtured by the rain can increase the fire risk once it dries out. 

“It’s more important than ever that people are mitigating, keeping that grass mowed short,” Falcon Fire Chief Trent Harwig said. 

He encouraged residents to mow around their homes, barns and sheds to encourage fast-moving fires to bypass valuable structures. 

Colorado Springs Fire Marshal Kris Cooper said the fire danger in the city limits is low as well right now and in the near term.  

“We are happy with where things are at right now,” he said. 

But he encouraged residents to trim or mow vegetation that could turn into fire fuel, like bushes and low-hanging trees. 

The Fire Department is scheduled to start the second cycle of its summer chipping program on Aug. 11 to remove branches and yard waste. Residents must register online to participate at coswildfireready.org/neighborhood-chipping-program.

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