Needed moisture in Colorado lowers risk of wildfires
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Map courtesy of U.S. Drought Monitor
As fall fast approaches and downpours persist, it appears the smoky summer Coloradans have been bracing for may not come.
Why it matters: Coloradans — and the nature spots they love — could use a break.
- The state has yet to recover from wildfires that have ravaged its wilderness over the last two years, forcing evacuations, destroying homes and upending thousands of lives.
Driving the news: Boulder County — the site of a deadly blaze last December — lifted its fire restrictions Tuesday, thanks in large part to moisture conditions and longterm forecasts, officials announced.
- Meanwhile, Glenwood Canyon — home to the massive Grizzly Creek Fire in 2020 — continues to see mudslides and road closures due to monsoonal moisture.
- Strong storms have also been notable this summer in Denver and Broomfield — the latter of which is up 25% of its average annual rainfall, 9News reports.
The big picture: Colorado officials warned that this year could be one of the worst for wildfires in state history, but a recent surge in much-needed rainfall is easing those concerns.
- 58% of the state is experiencing moderate to "exceptional" drought, compared to nearly 90% in April, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.
- The rest of the country hasn't been so lucky. At least 53 large wildfires were burning at the start of August, Axios' Rebecca Falconer writes.
Yes, but: 5% of the state — particularly in the far southwest and northeast pockets — remains in "extreme" to "exceptional" drought.
- And several Colorado cities, including Denver, are reporting abnormally high temperatures this month.
What they're saying: "Our risk is really going to be based on when that moisture machine is going to shut off and how long of a period we have where conditions are dry and how warm we are," Becky Bollinger of the Colorado Climate Center told the Denver Post.
- "If we go into September and it’s just an extension of summer where it’s really hot, then we’re going to start looking at that risk again," she noted.