Drought Facts
| Drought is an ambiguous hazard that defies a universal definition. Typically, drought is a shortage of water associated with a deficiency of precipitation. However, water shortages can also be induced by humans. Perhaps it is easier to think of drought as being a function of supply versus demand. |  |
Drought occurs when a normal amount of moisture is not available to satisfy an area’s usual water-consuming activities.
Drought is a frequent visitor to our semiarid state. The most significant impacts which typically confront the state are related to such water intensive activities as: agriculture, wildfire protection, municipal usage, commerce, tourism, recreation, and wildlife preservation. A reduction of electric power generation and water quality deterioration are also potential problems.
Several times throughout this century Colorado has experienced conditions of drought. The most dramatic drought periods occurred in the 1930s and 1950s, when many states, Colorado included, were affected for several years at a time.
The agricultural business suffered severely during the drought of the 1930s. The situation was exacerbated by poor farming techniques, low market prices, and a depressed economy which caused many to migrate away from farming. At the same time, progress was made toward improving the situation: better agricultural management; establishment of insurance programs; liberalization of credit; and diversification of the regional economy. Other improvements included irrigation; the planting of trees for wind breaks to mitigate soil erosion; and air conditioned tractors to keep dust from the operator. These adjustments moderated the drought in the early 1950s. Impacts were much less severe, although climatological conditions were not that different from those of the dust bowl era.
The drought of 1976-77 was essentially a winter event and was not long in duration. However, it was the driest winter in recorded history for much of Colorado’s high country and western slope, and had serious consequences for the ski industry. Another drought that began in the fall of 1980 and lasted until the summer of 1981 also generated costly impacts on the ski industry and initiated a huge investment in snow making equipment. This was the last severe and widespread drought to affect Colorado.
Since 1981, Colorado has seen a sustained overall wet period. A few localized exceptions include a significant, but brief drought in southwest Colorado from 1989 to 1990; a growing season drought in 1994 in northeast Colorado; and a localized drought in southwest Colorado from late 1995 into 1996. La Niña influenced weather patterns in the winter of 1999, leaving the statewide snowpack abnormally low in the spring. While many parts of the country were experiencing drought conditions, abundant moisture in the second half of 1999 resulted in wet conditions over almost all of Colorado. The drought of 2000-2003 in Colorado led to many agencies working together on water conservation. The dryness and lack of precipitation led to the worst wildfire season in Colorado's history in 2002.
Drought is clearly a common occurrence in Colorado, but drought rarely encompasses the entire state at any given time. Key points regarding Colorado drought are as follows:
- The most common droughts are of short duration (6 months or less)
with aerial extents that vary with the seasons. - Multi-year droughts occur infrequently.
- Precipitation data indicate that most weather stations across the state have experienced two or more consecutive years of precipitation less than 80% of average a few times during the 20th century.
For current drought conditions in Colorado, click here.
For more information on drought from the Colorado Water Conservation Board, click here.
For Colorado State University Cooperative Extension Drought & Fire Information, click here.