Drought Information Statement for South Central and Southeast Colorado Valid May 12th, 2026 Issued By: National Weather Service Pueblo, Colorado Contact Information: nws.pueblo@noaa.gov This product will be updated by June 18th, 2026 or sooner if drought conditions change significantly. Please see all currently available products at https://drought.gov/drought-information-statements. Please visit https://www.weather.gov/pub/DroughtInformationStatement for previous statements. Please visit https://www.drought.gov/drought-status-updates for regional drought status updates. 96% of Colorado is experiencing Moderate to Exceptional Drought conditions U.S. Drought Monitor Drought intensity and Extent D4 (Exceptional Drought): Lake, northwestern Chaffee, eastern Costilla and western Huerfano and Las Animas counties. D3 Extreme Drought: Northern Chaffee, northern and southwestern Saguache, most of Mineral, western Rio Grande, western Conejos, eastern Costilla, the rest of Huerfano and Las Animas, southern Otero, southern Bent, southern Prowers, and Baca counties. D2 Severe Drought: Southern Chaffee, western and eastern Saguache, southwest Mineral, central Rio Grande, central Conejos, eastern Alamosa, western Fremont, Custer, central Costilla, southwestern and southeastern Pueblo, central and northern Otero, southern Crowley, the rest of Bent and Prowers, and the western 2/3rds of Kiowa counties. D1 Moderate Drought: Central Saguache, eastern Rio Grande and Conejos, the rest of Alamosa, western Costilla, central Fremont, northern Teller and El Paso, central Pueblo and Crowley, and northeastern Kiowa counties. D0: Abnormally Dry: Southern Teller and El Paso, eastern Fremont, and northern Pueblo and Crowley counties. Recent Change in Drought Intensity 4 Week Drought Monitor Class Change. Drought Worsened: Portions of south central and southeast Colorado No Change: Portions of south central and southeast Colorado Drought Improved: Small pockets along the ContDvd and the southeast plains Past 3 Month Temperature and Precipitation Departure February was very warm and occasional windy, creating high fire danger and hazardous travel conditions at times, with areas of blowing dust. March started out unsettled, however, strong upper ridging through the 2nd half of the month, brought record shattering heat which quickly depleted the already record low snowpack across the state. While not as extreme as March, April was still unseasonably warm and dry, with a few passing weather systems bringing some beneficial precipitation to areas along the Continental Divide and portions of the plains, with breezy conditions bringing high fire danger to the high mountain valleys and immediate adjacent plains through much of the month. Month to Date Temperature and Precipitation Departure May, thus far, has been unseasonably cold, with a few quick moving weather systems bringing some beneficial moisture to areas over and near the higher terrain and portions of the southeast plains. Summary of Impacts Hydrologic Impacts Despite statewide April precipitation running around 90 percent of median, statewide snowpack remains at historically low levels, as peak snowpack levels are running 3 to 5 weeks ahead of historical peak timing. Current melt out dates are running from 19 to 63 days ahead of median statewide, with median departure of 43 days. Streamflow runoff forecasts remain well below normal levels, with many streams already experiencing peak flows from snowmelt runoff. Agricultural Impacts Soil moisture is running below seasonal levels across south central and southeast Colorado. (CPC Daily Soil Moisture Ranking) Fire Hazard Impacts Warm and dry conditions has led to increased fire danger across south central and southeast Colorado. The earlier snowmelt season will bring an increased potential for significant wildfires across Colorado into the early Summer. Mitigation Actions Please refer to your municipality and/or water provider for mitigation and water restriction information. Hydrologic Conditions Colorado Snowpack On May 1st, NRCS data indicated Colorado Statewide Snowpack was at 20 percent of the 30 year median, as compared to 57 percent of median at this time last year. May 1st snowpack in the Arkansas basin was at 11 percent of median, as compared to 42 percent of median at this time last year. May 1st snowpack in the Upper Rio Grande basin was at 10 percent of median, as compared to 19 percent of median at this time last year. Agricultural and Water Supply Impacts The latest CPC data indicates soil moisture is running below seasonal norms across south central and southeast Colorado NRCS data indicated statewide Colorado Reservoir Storage was at 85 percent of median at the end of April, as compared to 89 percent of median at this time last year. In the Arkansas basin, reservoir storage was at 100 percent of median at the end of April, as compared to 108 percent of median at this time last year. In the Rio Grande basin, reservoir storage was at 101 percent of median at the end of April, as compared to 117 percent of median at this time last year. Fire Hazard Impacts With warmer and drier than normal conditions predicted across southeast Colorado into the summer, the potential for significant wildland fires will continue to increase across south central and southeast Colorado. Seasonal Temperature and Precipitation Outlook The latest monthly and seasonal outlooks can be found on the CPC homepage The CPC outlook for May through July supports warmer conditions with near normal precipitation across most of south central and southeast Colorado. Drought Outlook The potential for warmer and drier conditions across much southern Colorado through the rest of the spring supports the development of drought conditions across south central and southeast Colorado through the early summer.