Intermountain West Climate Dashboard
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The Intermountain West Climate Dashboard provides situational awareness of climate, drought, and water resources for Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming.
Click the question mark icon above each graphic to see the description of that graphic.
Weekly or monthly summaries of evolving climate, drought, and water conditions for the Intermountain West are also available from these providers:
- Colorado Climate Center/NIDIS Intermountain West Drought Status Briefings
- NOAA CBRFC Water Supply Briefings for the Colorado River Basin and Great Basin - monthly, January through May
- NRCS Water Supply Outlook Reports for Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming - monthly, January through May/June
Temperature, Precipitation and Snowpack
Drought Conditions
Current Streamflow, Forecasted Streamflow
Soil Moisture
Reservoir Storage
Precipitation Forecast
Seasonal Climate Outlooks
ENSO Conditions and Forecasts
Latest Briefing
July 11, 2024 - CO, UT, WY
Precipitation conditions ranged from much-below to much-above normal for the region in June. The Four Corners region experienced 400-800% of normal June precipitation while other areas of the region experienced record-dry conditions. Temperatures were above to much-above normal throughout the region in June. Snowpack completely melted out in Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming by June 23. Most regional streamflow gauges recorded normal to above normal flows. Drought conditions improved in Colorado but worsened in Wyoming. The NOAA seasonal outlook for July-September suggests an increased probability of below normal precipitation and above normal temperatures for the entire region.
The region experienced mixed conditions in June. 200-400% of average precipitation fell throughout southwestern Colorado and much of southeastern Utah, with 400-800% of normal precipitation in the Four Corners region and south-central Colorado. Large portions of the region experienced much-below average precipitation, with less than 2% of average precipitation west of the Great Salt Lake, in southwestern Utah, and in a small pocket in southwestern Wyoming. Record-dry conditions occurred in northern and eastern Wyoming, southwestern Utah, and east of Denver. Boulder experienced its driest June in exactly 100 years.
The majority of the region experienced above to much-above normal temperatures. Temperatures of 6-8°F above normal occurred in many pockets throughout the region including eastern Colorado, southern Wyoming, and particularly in northern and southwestern Utah. Temperatures of 8-10°F above normal occurred in northwestern and southeastern Wyoming. Record-warm temperatures occurred throughout the region, particularly in southern Utah.
Regional streamflow conditions were near average, with above average streamflow at many sites in northern Colorado and northern Utah. Much-above average streamflow occurred at one site near Logan, Utah and at many sites in northern Colorado along the Front Range and in the Central Mountains, from Larimer County down to Chaffee County.
Regional drought conditions worsened during June and now cover 9% of the region, compared to 8% at the end of May. Moderate (D1) drought expanded in eastern Wyoming and emerged in northern Colorado including the Denver Metro area, with severe (D2) drought emerging in Laramie County in southeastern Wyoming. D2 drought was removed from Prowers and Baca Counties in southeastern Colorado.
ENSO-neutral conditions continue in the Pacific Ocean. However, as ocean temperatures continue to cool, there is a 50% probability of La Niña conditions existing during September-November. The NOAA monthly outlook suggests an increased probability of below normal precipitation for northern Utah, eastern Colorado, and all of Wyoming, and an increased probability of above normal temperatures for the entire region, with a 70-80% chance of above normal temperatures for western and central Colorado, southwestern Wyoming, and all of Utah. The NOAA seasonal outlook for July-September suggests an increased probability of below normal precipitation, with a 50-60% chance of below normal precipitation in the Four Corners region, and it suggests an increased probability of above normal temperatures, with a 70-80% chance of above normal temperatures in the Four Corners region and the majority of eastern Utah.
Significant weather event: Flash flooding in Moab. On June 21, 2024, Moab experienced severe flash flooding due to a violent storm that drenched the region in over an inch of rain in just 15 minutes. Major roads, including Highway 191 and city streets such as 500 West, were temporarily closed due to flooding and downed power lines. Water overflowed banks and bridges and people were evacuated by authorities at places in town as a precaution to the flash flooding. In a conversation with the Moab Sun, Grand County Emergency Management Director, Cora Phillips, said she was encouraged by improvements in flood alarm systems from the historic flooding in August 2022, but that more work needs to be done. According to Moab City Manager, David Everitt, this flash flood could leave years of repair work, as he says the city is still doing repairs from the aforementioned floods in 2022.
Photos by Jason Strother, Moab Sun News.
June 7, 2024 - CO, UT, WY
Cool May temperatures coupled with continued snowpack accumulation in some mountain areas slowed snowmelt, leading to above average seasonal streamflow volume forecasts for many river basins including the Arkansas, Gunnison, North Platte, Powder, Provo, Six Creeks, Weber and Yampa. Regional drought conditions contracted to cover 8% of the region, driven largely by drought removal in northern Wyoming. NOAA seasonal outlooks predict an increased probability of above average temperatures and below average precipitation for June-August.
Regional May precipitation was a mix of above and below average conditions. Average to much-above average (150-200%) precipitation fell in northwestern and central Colorado and northern Wyoming. In Utah, the central Wasatch and western Uinta Mountains received near-average precipitation during May. Locations in western and southern Utah, southwestern and northeastern Colorado and southeastern Wyoming received less than 50% of average May precipitation. Isolated locations in Larimer and La Plata Counties in Colorado and Washington County in Utah received record low May precipitation. In Boulder, CO, total May precipitation was only 0.44”, the driest May in 50 years and the second driest on record.
May temperatures were below average for nearly the entire region. In central Colorado, northern Utah and western Wyoming, temperatures were 2-4ºF below average. Region-wide (CO, UT, WY), May 2024 was the coldest since May 2019.
Despite below average May precipitation across much of the region, cool May temperatures preserved existing snowpack and regional snow water equivalent (SWE) is above-to-much-above average in most river basins. SWE is highest relative to average in Utah where SWE is 585% of average in the Weber River Basin and 225% of average in the Provo-Jordan River Basin. On a statewide basis, SWE is 136% of average in Colorado, 196% of average in Utah and 125% of average in Wyoming. Snow is completely melted in the Rio Grande River Basin and nearly melted in the Dolores and San Juan watersheds. Significant May snow accumulation occurred in Wyoming’s Bighorn Mountains and in parts of the Colorado Rockies.
Seasonal streamflow volume forecasts on June 1 are generally average to slightly above average except for below average streamflow forecasts in the Cheyenne, Upper Green, Rio Grande and San Juan River Basins. Snowpack accumulation continued in some mountain regions during May and cool May temperatures slowed snowmelt for much of the month. Relative to average, the highest streamflow volumes are forecasted in northern Utah, particularly the Provo, Six Creeks and Weber River Basins. Significant increases in streamflow volume forecasts compared to May 1 were observed in the Arkansas, Gunnison, North Platte, Powder and Tongue River Basins. The lowest streamflow volumes relative to average are forecasted for the Dolores (44%) and San Juan Rivers (64%). The inflow volume forecast for Lake Powell is 80% of average (5.1 million acre-feet).
Regional drought conditions improved during May and now cover 8% of the region, compared to 10% at the end of April. Much-above average precipitation in northern Wyoming caused the removal of D1 and D2 drought conditions. Drought was entirely removed from Utah during May and the area of D1 drought contracted in western Colorado. Dry conditions in other parts of the region caused drought emergence in southeastern Wyoming, severe (D2) drought emergence in southeastern Colorado and a slight expansion of D1 drought conditions in southwestern Colorado.
The strong El Niño event of 2023-2024 ended during May and Pacific Ocean temperatures are near average and ENSO-neutral conditions exist. There is at least a 70% probability of ENSO-neutral conditions remaining through summer, but by fall, there is a 50-60% probability of La Niña conditions forming. The NOAA Monthly Precipitation Outlook suggests an increased probability of below average June precipitation in northern Utah and above average June precipitation for southeastern Colorado. The NOAA Seasonal Outlook for June-August forecasts an increased probability of below average precipitation and above average temperatures for the entire region.
May significant weather event: Front Range severe thunderstorms. On May 30, two supercell thunderstorms rapidly formed over the Front Range and caused severe hail damage in the northern Denver metro area. Very large hail fell on the north side of Denver with hail covering roads and reaching up to 2” in diameter. (BoulderCast, Denver Hailstorm Recap, https://bouldercast.com/denver-hailstorm-recap-unexpected-nocturnal-supercells-pummeled-parts-of-the-denver-area-with-up-to-baseball-sized-hail-thursday-night/) Rainfall amounts from these thunderstorms were only a quarter to a half inch in the Denver area, but storms lingered to the northeast of Denver where up to 1.3” of rain fell in Akron on 5/30-5/31.
Hail images from Jayson Luber on X @Denver7Traffic.