Drought conditions worsen across Colorado as wildfire threat grows
The latest drought monitor shows drought conditions are worsening statewide, and fire danger is on the rise.
Watch CBS News
First Alert Meteorologist Callie Zanandrie grew up in Parker, Colorado. In fifth grade, Callie was selected to represent her school, Charles Hay Elementary, as the PBS Channel 6 Kid's Correspondent. It was there she got her first taste of television. She has been hooked ever since! Following her passion for television, Callie studied journalism at the University of Colorado Boulder and meteorology at Mississippi State University.
Callie started interning at Aurora Channel 8 when she was a junior at Ponderosa High School. Callie's first job out of school was at KBCI in Boise, Idaho. From Boise, Callie traded in her hiking boots for flip-flops and moved to Florida to work for WWSB. However, home was calling and after a year Callie moved back to Denver to work at a competitor. Callie also shifted gears for a time from broadcast news into non-scripted television and worked as a producer at High New Entertainment and Double Act Entertainment. Her strong background in editorial storytelling, writing, and shooting allowed for a seamless transition into producing and directing various projects for Travel Channel, Discovery, Weather Channel, HGTV and Animal Planet.
Outside of work, Callie is an outdoors nut who developed a love of the outdoors at a young age. She learned to ski in elementary school and grew up camping frequently. She loves spending her time in nature with her family. You can usually find her skiing, paddleboarding or hiking. She also loves training for and competing in triathlons with her husband.
Callie feels it's her love of the outdoors that allows her to connect with CBS Colorado viewers in her weather forecasts, because she knows how important the weather is if you are planning a hike or if you have an afternoon soccer practice.
Callie lives in Golden with her husband, Joe, their son, Colin, their daughter, Cameron and a golden retriever named Miley.
Just The Facts
Most memorable interview: Bert Kreischer
Number of children: 2
Hobbies: Paddleboarding, running, hiking, camping, skiing, snowshoeing, swimming, biking and scuba diving
Favorite food: Waffles
Favorite musician: Mumford and Sons, Nathaniel Rateliff, Chris Stapleton
Number of siblings: two brothers and one sister
Number of pets: 1 - Golden retrieve named Miley
Favorite sports team: CU Buffs, Broncos, Avalanche and Nuggets
Favorite author: Kristin Hannah
Favorite vacation spot: Portugal
What keeps you in Colorado? The weather!
What one word best describes CBS News Colorado: Teamwork
Year Hired: 2019
You can contact Callie by sending an email to yourreporter@cbs.com.
The latest drought monitor shows drought conditions are worsening statewide, and fire danger is on the rise.
Colorado remains under a heightened fire and heat threat Thursday as hot, dry, and windy conditions grip much of the state.
The combination of gusty winds (up to 35 mph), single-digit humidity, and extremely dry fuels means fire could spread quickly.
Portions of Colorado's Front Range are now classified as abnormally dry.
The U.S. Drought Monitor shows conditions getting much worse in some Colorado mountain towns including Aspen.
A Severe Thunderstorm Watch is in effect until 10 Wednesday night for much of the Front Range including: Denver, Boulder, and Jefferson counties.
Colorado is turning up the heat this week. Expect temperatures in the 90s across the Denver metro area and plains through Tuesday.
A round of strong thunderstorms is expected to develop across parts of Colorado Saturday afternoon, continuing an active weather pattern that's brought heavy rain, localized flooding, and frequent lightning to many areas in recent days.
Saturday and Sunday will follow a familiar summer pattern: warm, partly sunny days with a chance of afternoon and evening thunderstorms, particularly east of the Denver metro.
According to the latest data from the U.S. Drought Monitor, more than 50% of Colorado is currently experiencing drought. The most severe conditions are concentrated on the Western Slope.
This week's drought update shows little overall change across Colorado, but some areas—particularly in the northwest—are seeing worsening conditions.
As Colorado continues to battle drought and rising summer temperatures, more residents are looking for simple ways to cut back on water use - without sacrificing curb appeal. 'Garden In A Box', an innovative program from Boulder-based nonprofit Resource Central is helping homeowners trade in their thirsty turf for vibrant, low-water landscapes.
Another round of scattered storms are expected to pop up Wednesday -- before the we settles into a drier, hotter stretch through the weekend.
Bug season in Colorado is off to a strong start. There are some to watch out for and others that need our help.
In the northeastern part of the state there was a small but positive shift: conditions have improved from moderate drought to abnormally dry. While it's not a complete recovery, it marks a slight step in the right direction.