As of August 7, more than 81 percent of Colorado is experiencing some degree of abnormally dry (yellow) or drought conditions (orange and red shades). While only a small increase from three months ago, the severity of the drought conditions has worsened and moved further north. At the end of April, 51 percent of the state was experiencing severe to exceptional drought, but now 64 percent of the state is experiencing such conditions.

It is also significantly drier than one year ago when there were no parts of Colorado experiencing drought conditions and only 20 percent of the state was experiencing abnormally dry conditions. Currently, the driest area of the state continues to be the southern portion. The southwest corner remains in exceptional drought conditions along with parts of the Rio Grande and Arkansas River Basins.