Record-breaking rain for some across Colorado, was it enough to erase drought deficits?

How many times have you heard "We need the moisture!" over the past three days in Colorado?

Well, Coloradans who uttered these words weren't wrong, and many locations, including the Denver metro area, finally received desperately needed rain and snow that will help with drought conditions.  

The southern Colorado city of Pueblo, for example, received 1.37 inches of rain as of Wednesday morning, breaking the previous daily rainfall record of 1.05 inches.

Additional rounds of rain and snow are expected Wednesday, so expect totals in most locations to increase by approximately 0.25 inches.

I'll start by listing the precipitation deficits (left) and rainfall received so far (right):

1. Walsenburg: 2.21"
2. Lakewood: 1.90"
3. Las Animas: 1.64"
4. Canon City: 1.48"
5. Fort Collins: 1.42"
6. Pueblo: 1.25"
7. Castle Rock: 1.23"
8. Colorado Springs: 0.81"
9. Boulder: 0.60" 

Now let's look at rainfall received so far in these locations:

1. Walsenburg: 1.54" 
2. Lakewood: 1.50" 
3. Las Animas: 1.40" 
4. Canon City: 1.70" 
5. Fort Collins: 1.11" 
6. Pueblo: 1.37" 
7. Castle Rock: 1.24" 
8. Colorado Springs: 1.32" 
9. Boulder: 1.43" 

As you can see, this was drought-busting moisture for many areas, while others are still lagging. The precipitation helped bolster snowpack, bringing the statewide average to 57% (not including snow that fell after 11:59 PM on Tuesday). I suspect the statewide average will be closer to 60% when we account for storm total snow.

All in all, we desperately needed this storm and could use two more to help the southern portion of the state remain drought-free.