Nearly Half Of Colorado 'Abnormally Dry' After Dismal Monsoon Season

DENVER (CBS4) - After a wet spring that ended drought across Colorado dry conditions have returned to some areas thanks to a dismal monsoon season. An update from the U.S. Drought Monitor released on Sept. 5 showed 41 percent of the state is abnormally dry with moderate drought creeping back into the southwest counties.

The western half of Colorado and states like Utah and Arizona largely missed out on large bouts of monsoon moisture this year. Meanwhile Colorado's eastern counties experienced a rather humid summer with several thunderstorm days.

The North American Monsoon is a seasonal shift in the wind which allows moisture from the tropics to flow into the southwestern United States. This allows for daily chances to see widespread showers and thunderstorms.

Semi-permanent areas of high and low pressure are responsible for funneling the rich, tropical moisture to the north. But if these pressure centers aren't positioned just right, the moisture will travel elsewhere, missing areas that count on summer's daily thunderstorm cycle.

The monsoon season officially starts on June 15 and ends on Sept. 30, but because Colorado is so far north, we usually benefit the most during July and August. With a few more weeks to go before monsoon season officially ends there is still hope to see some storms with beneficial rainfall.