Heavy precipitation has provided drought relief across several Colorado River Basin states, according to a October 30 report. While storms brought moisture to the West, long-term moisture shortages continue to persist across much of the region.
According to the October 29 U.S. Drought Monitor report, drought conditions across the United States moved in different directions during the week covered by the report. While the eastern half of the country received little or no rain, repeated storms eased drought across portions of the seven Colorado River Basin states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming.
The Four Corners region saw substantial relief where Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah meet. Some locations near the Colorado–New Mexico border received between 4 and 8 inches of precipitation during the reporting period. Central and southern Colorado experienced excessive precipitation and areas of flooding, with drought conditions improving by one category across much of southern Colorado and parts of northeastern Colorado. Portions of south-central and southwestern Colorado improved by two categories after receiving several inches of precipitation.
Widespread improvements were also reported in New Mexico and Arizona. Much of northern and eastern New Mexico received 2 to locally 5 inches of precipitation, and the state reported localized flooding. Central Arizona received 2 to locally 5 inches of precipitation, bringing widespread drought improvement to central and northern Arizona.
In Utah, moisture moving north from the Four Corners brought moderate to locally heavy precipitation across much of the state. Some higher-elevation locations in northern Utah and far western Wyoming received more than 2 inches. Other areas of improvement were noted in a large part of Nevada, parts of the lower Colorado Valley, and southern Utah.
Despite the recent moisture, long-term moisture deficits continued to affect much of the West, limiting how much drought could be removed. The October 29 forecast called for additional heavy precipitation through November 2, including totals ranging from 1.5 to locally near 4 inches across central Arizona and higher elevations of the central Rocky Mountains.
For the period of November 3–7, the October 29 report favored above-normal precipitation across most of the contiguous United States.
The storms did not reach every area equally. Parts of the lower Colorado Valley, some lower-elevation locations, and portions of the Desert Southwest received only light amounts, ranging up to a few tenths of an inch.
The October 29 outlook also anticipated that daytime highs would average 4 to 8 degrees Fahrenheit below normal across the central and western Four Corners, the Great Basin, and much of the Desert Southwest.
