Let’s talk about dryness.
I may have mentioned this in previous blog posts, but I record rain and snow (and water-equivalent moisture) amounts on a site called Community Collaborative Rain, Hail & Snow Network every day of every week, month and year. I’ve been doing it for a few (several?) years now. It started with a nudge from the local water commissioner (with the Colorado Division of Water Resources, and I was all over it so I could prove drought relative to something Spring Creek Basin related. That was proved, the outcome was successful, and as life goes on, still I measure rain and snow – and – IMPORTANTLY – the lack thereof.
In recent months, it’s been a bit of a joke that the Denver and Front Range areas (it’s all the same, right?) have been getting so much rain while the weather people say “most of Colorado is getting rain.”
This little tidbit was just in the Denver Post: “It’s rained more in Denver by now than it normally does all year, with more likely. 15.2 inches of rain as of yesterday is already above our annual average of 14.48 inches.” (There’s a paywall, so I won’t link to it, but I got that via emailed headlines.)
Then there was this little number featured yesterday on Out There Colorado: “Colorado free of ‘abnormal dryness’ for first time in 1,452 days.” I’m not sure what torques me more: the fact that Disappointment Valley – heck, all of Southwest Colorado – actually IS part of Colorado, so please recognize us, or the fact that, with 1.67 inches of rain since April (ask me how I know, then see above), IT IS ABNORMALLY DRY IN THIS PART OF COLORADO. Snow on the mountain peaks does not translate to water NOT on the ground, growing plants.
I know “most of Colorado” is Denver/Front Range (according to those who live there), but I’m having a bit of a hard time generating any all-state loyalty when Denver, with its 15 inches of rain for the year, is at the same level of “free of ‘abnormal dryness'” as the powers that be (who, exactly?!) claim that we, over here in this corner of Colorado – yes, still Colorado – happen to be experiencing.
Here’s the link to the U.S. Drought Monitor’s map of all of Colorado (!), showing how wonderfully free of drought – and/or “abnormal dryness” – we all joyfully are.
Nothing is *normal* anymore, but just above an inch and a half of moisture in more than three months ain’t normal, folks. Not even in this corner of Colorado.
Day after day of red-flag warnings and fire-weather warnings ought to prove that, if the lack of rain doesn’t.
We’re beyond ready for monsoons rains … heck, ANY rains. My level of drought worry is pretty normal – it’s a usual state of affairs for this dry corner of Colorado. … Maybe that’s what *they* mean? We’re always dry, so what does it matter that we’re REALLY DRY?!
In good news, the mustangs are doing quite well, even down to one pond of water and scattered seeps in arroyo bottoms, because our excellent BLM folks have had the foresight to scatter water catchments throughout Spring Creek Basin. Humans worry; wild horses don’t.
Spring Creek Basin Mustangs 
Thanks for this ! We are dry in Aztec, NM for sure!
I hope rain does come for the horses soon !
Day after day of blue skies is all fine and dandy … except when you really need rain. 🙂
It’s always a mystery to me how all of us, living on the “dry side” of the state, are never considered in these blanket weather statements about “Colorado!” We are so desperately dry right now and yet, magically, nothing to see here – Denver and environs have 15 inches. Pardon me if I keep praying for rain. 😳
Ha – yes, we’re all praying for rain over here!
It bugs me that “media” ignores so much these days – only going for “headlines” or what bleeds! It boggles the mind that there seems to be no journalistic interest in examining the serious lack of water/moisture all over this country. Obviously, here in NY its not as bad but its DRY HERE too. I dont get it. And it appears no one in the news business gets anything other than drama these days. (sorry I rant) Why that is? Well, at the risk of offending anyone – that seems to be how our sainted reps in DC – both sides – are pushing.
And Sue, I’ll keep on praying too. Its dry.
It extends beyond journalists; they’re just picking up the “news” that the weather people/meteorologists/people who make the drought-condition decisions put out. The weather people are the ones who apparently don’t consider that snowpack doesn’t necessarily translate to conditions on the ground below those mountain peaks. It’s that news that torques me when it’s so obviously terribly dry out there.
It seems like the newspeople in the big cities ignore the out lying areas! They also ignore a lot of other things and are selective in what they print!
They’re just reporting what the weather people put out. But I do believe what you say is true. 🙂
Thank you TJ.
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You know how dry it is. 🙂
Informational, yet still uplifting. Thank you
I always like to keep an eye on that silver lining, even of the rainless clouds. 🙂
The egregious little chippy who “represents” our district makes buck on that very thing, that Denver et. al ignores “us.” It’s politically obtuse to maintain that point of view, but it’s the ugly, ambient noise of our world. Here in the valley we had a wet spring. Hay was cut early. Now it’s dry. The winds are high, sucking moisture out of everything. I am hoping that the end of July/beginning of August brings rain as it has in the past. I think we can take a cue from the horses. Maybe always take a cue from the horses.
Yes, I’d argue the “always” point. 🙂 I shouldn’t rant, but the long run of days of full sunshine, strong winds, high temps and nooooooo rain wears on a body. Hope we get our monsoons this summer … sooner than later!
Feel free to delete my political rant. Later on I thought it didn’t belong there. Your post just struck a chord.
It’s fine. The recent news about “no drought in all of Colorado” struck a chord with me, too, which started my own rant!
Only the eastern slope of Colorado seems to be thought of as “Colorado”. Those of us on the western side of the mountain don’t count. It has been this way for most of my 67 years in this area. Sad