Monsoon brings slight drought improvement to southern Colorado

Monsoon storms produced beneficial rain in Colorado during the month of July with the most recent improvement noted in the eastern San Juan Mountains and on the southeast plains. Those areas saw the drought improve by one category over the past week, going from moderate drought to abnormally dry.

The monsoon is a seasonal shift in the wind that impacts the central and southern Rockies each summer. In Colorado, the wind predominantly flows out of the south during July and August, transporting humid air from the tropics and subtropics. The moisture combines with daytime heating to help fuel daily thunderstorms.

The coverage and intensity of the storms can vary from day to day. Another round of monsoon moisture is anticipated this weekend with widespread thunderstorms in the forecast.

While the storms bring rain that can help ease drought, they can also produce too much rain in a short period of time, resulting in flash floods. The mountains will be on guard for potential flash flooding this weekend, especially in and near recent burn scars from wildfires.