• Colorado is experiencing one of its worst droughts, though 2002 is still considered the most severe in recent history.
• Nearly the entire state is under some level of drought, with the most extreme conditions at the headwaters of major rivers.
• While a forming El Niño may bring a wet fall, it does not guarantee the heavy mountain snowpack needed to end the drought.

Historically has it really been that hot and dry in Colorado this year or does it just seem that way?

And how much can we count on the monsoon moisture and forming super El Niño to bail us out of our persistent drought?

Is climate change to blame for the monthslong hot, dry weather?

For answers to those questions and more, we talked with Russ Schumacher, state climatologist and professor in Colorado State University’s Department of Atmospheric Science.

Is this the worst drought in Colorado recorded weather history?

No, but time will tell.

“2002 stands out as being probably the worst statewide drought in recent times,” Schumacher told the Coloradoan. “In terms of intensity of drought, this ranks right up there for the worst ones we have had across Colorado. It’s too early to rank it exactly with some historical ones because we don’t know how much longer it will last.”

Schumacher pointed out other significant droughts occurring in 2012 and during the 1930s Dust Bowl years.

Schumacher said many rivers, mostly on the Western Slope, will see their lowest flow on record this year. That is not the case with the Poudre River, which saw lower flows in 2012, another significant drought and year of the High Park Fire in Larimer County.

He said 2020, the year of the state’s two largest recorded wildfires — Cameron Peak and East Troublesome — saw decent mountain snowpack but the summer and fall turned exceptionally hot and dry.

How does the latest Colorado drought monitor map compare to other significant droughts?

The Colorado drought map released Aug. 13 shows 99% of the state is some designation of drought status, a percentage that has stayed steady the past three months.

What’s more troubling is nearly half the state is in extreme (D3) or exceptional (D4) drought, the two highest drought categories, and has been the last three months. Making matters worse is the worst drought conditions, mainly due to historically low snowpack, are right where we, and millions of others, can least afford to have drought.

“Having the worst drought conditions at the headwaters of the Colorado and Arkansas rivers is not where you want those conditions,” Schumacher said. “It affects millions and millions of people downstream. The fact that it was such a bad snow year literally has a ripple effect downstream for long distances.”

Schumacher said the U.S. drought monitor map started around 2000 and comparing the map in 2002 to 2026 isn’t apples to apples.

“There is much more detail in the map now then there was in 2002, so that makes it a little hard to compare the drought monitor from the two time periods,” Schumacher said.

He said the August 2002 drought map showed the entire state in extreme drought with pockets of exceptional in the southwest and southeast areas of the state. In 2012 and 2020, more of the state was categorized as extreme than in 2026.

“Some of that information is legitimate and in some aspects makes the drought worse in those years than now,” Schumacher said.

We keep hearing about the monsoon moisture and super El Niño, so are those really going to get us out of the drought?

Heavy monsoon moisture in July caused areas of flash flooding on the Western Slope but has been hit or miss elsewhere.

Schumacher said when really strong El Niños have formed like this year, which are rare, the Northern Front Range has seen particularly wet falls. El Niño winters have produced some above-average snowpack years, but Schumacher said the correlation between big snowpack years in the mountains and El Niño years is not as clear.

“El Niño tilts toward a wet fall and maybe we get one of of those big fall or spring upslope snows, but statistically there is not as much of a relation between El Niño and higher snowpack,” Schumacher said. “To really make a dent in the drought, we will broadly need a big snowpack. It’s promising and points us in a good direction but there are no guarantees.”

Currently, El Niño conditions exist and will strengthen through the end of the year, with a more than 90% chance of a “very strong” El Niño October through December, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Climate Prediction Center posted Aug. 13 on its website.

Are the current drought and extremely warm temperatures caused by climate change?

Like El Niño tilts in favor of more rain and snow in Colorado, climate change also tilts in favor of hotter weather.

The Colorado Climate Center reported the 2026 water year, which runs Oct. 1 through Sept. 30, has been the warmest on record by a large margin. The statewide average temperature through July was 6.2 degrees higher than the 20th century average and 4.6 degrees above the 1991-2020 average. It also has been the sixth driest water year.

This July was the second hottest month in 132 years of records, only behind July of 2003.

“Climate change makes that more likely, but we had La Niña and weather patterns that were not in our favor,” Schumacher said. “As the climate warms, the odds of having warmer extremes are more likely and add that to a year where you have bad precipitation makes the drought that much worse.”

DENVER — Food and beverage workers in Colorado now have access to free mental health care through a new program called Behind You, launched by the University of Denver and the Southern Smoke Foundation.

The program offers 20 no-cost counseling sessions provided by graduate student trainees working under licensed supervision. Sessions are available both in-person and via telehealth.

▶️ Free mental health program launches for Colorado food workers]

Free mental health counseling program launches for Colorado food and beverage workers

The partnership addresses a critical gap in mental health care access for an industry where workers often lack insurance benefits or face unaffordable health care costs. In 2025, 58% of Behind You clients received counseling for the first time, or returned after more than 5 years, due to barriers including cost, limited clinician availability, and time constraints.

Noelle Lefforge, clinical services director at the DU Graduate School of Professional Psychology, said the program was designed specifically around the needs of this community.

“It’s the first mental health program of its kind that was really built for the needs of the food and beverage community. I think back to my time working in kitchens and turning that corner, and you hear ‘behind you.’ In this case, that means support. It’s providing a safety net that wouldn’t be there otherwise,” Lefforge said.

Lefforge said the arrangement benefits both workers and the next generation of mental health professionals.

“That’s what I’m most excited about. Because of this arrangement, it’s really a win across the board. We’re providing excellent quality of care to food and beverage workers who deserve that level of care. Our supervisors are some of the best known experts in the field providing that direct support for these students, so that they can grow and develop,” Lefforge said.

The Behind You Colorado program opened Aug. 1, with services beginning Aug. 17. Food and beverage workers in Colorado interested in accessing no-cost counseling services can learn more about the program, review eligibility requirements, and apply at southernsmoke.org/mental-health.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KOAA) — The Colorado Springs Police Department says it has recently been conducting operations to crack down on illegal street racing across the city.

According to a recent news release, the department has conducted eight operations since April, with the most recent crackdown in August in partnership with the Colorado State Patrol.

“We understand the frustration these incidents cause,” said Chief Vasquez in the release. “Residents deserve to feel safe in their neighborhoods and on our roadways. We share those concerns and remain committed to addressing this dangerous behavior.”

Learn more about the operations in the video player below

Across those eight operations, CSPD handed out:

• 140 Racer-Related Summons
• Three Felony Eluding Warrants
• Five Felony Arrests
• 43 Trespass summons

The department said these operations would not be possible unless community members continue to report illegal street racing, takeovers, and dangerous driving as long as they can safely.

“While officers may not be able to respond to every reported incident due to competing emergency calls, staffing limitations, and the often-short duration of these events, every report is important,” said Deputy Chief Doug Trainer. “Those reports help identify patterns and direct future enforcement efforts.”

Anyone who witnesses illegal street racing is asked to call the non-emergency line at 719-444-7000.
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