Drought conditions improved in some parts of Colorado after monsoon moisture

The latest drought map, released Thursday, shows improvement across portions of northeast Colorado compared with last week. Recent rounds of monsoon moisture helped ease some of the short-term dryness in the region.

However, parts of southern and western Colorado saw drought conditions worsen, highlighting how uneven the recent rainfall has been across the state.

The drought comes after an exceptionally hot summer across Colorado. The average temperature from June through August was 69.4 degrees, making it Colorado's hottest summer on record. That surpasses the previous record of 68.7 degrees set in 2012.

The combination of extreme summer heat and ongoing precipitation deficits has increased moisture demand across the state, putting additional stress on soils, vegetation, and water resources. The latest long-range forecast is trending wetter than average statewide for September through November.

That doesn't mean it will rain every day, but the overall pattern could bring enough additional precipitation to help chip away at Colorado's ongoing drought.