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01)1917 ", Precioitation: With the exception ofMarcb, eacjl month October-April saw plentiful snowsinColorado's.\.Mrthern and central mountains while the southwestern m\luntain and all of eastern Colorado were very dry. In southwest- ern Colorado, this was the driest winter since the:famous drought of 1976-77. A late May stonn improvedieondi- tions over eastern Colorado. June storms brougiltsome relief to southwestern Colorado. July and August were each wet and stonny over eastern Colorado and dry to the west. September was wetter than average over m()st of Colorado. 1996 growing season precipitation ended.up above average over nearly all of eastern Colorado while the mountains and Western Slope were dry. 1996 Water Year ,. 1996 Water Year &"l::'1nflon. Previous issues of"Colo- rado Climate" includedlcktailed summaries of monthly climatic conditions for the first ten months (October .1995 through July 1996). We will now wrap up the year to complete our documentation. August was relatively cool, humid and stonny over eastern Colorado while the mountains and Western Slope were warm and dry. Hot weather persisted into early Septem- ber, but then a dramatic change occurred. By .September 7, a strong cold front cfl!SSed the state. Thereafter; a series of fallish stonn systems brought cool temperatures and widespread precipitation. Summer rainfall ended the emerging drought over south" eastern Colorado (an extension of the severe drought in Texas and parts of New Mexico and Oklahoma). Pre- cipitation totals ended up above average over Colorado's northern mountains and over much of the Eastern Plains. In the southwest, summer rains were unable to make up for the very dry winter and spring. Southwestern counties and portions of extreme western Colorado ended the year very dry. Stations near the 4-COrners area barely received 50% of average making this one of their driest years in recorded history. Temperatures for the year were warmer than average. Temoeratures. Colorado experienced a mild fall and early winter. A few boutS of winter cold struck from late December into early February, followed by 3 weeks of extremely mild February weather. March and April brought typical changeable weather followed by a very warm May and June. . July and August were very hot over western Colorado wliile q:latively cool and humid eaSt of the mountains. The year ended with a cool September.. . Overil1I, 1996 water year temperatures ended up above . average ranging from +iU OF on the Eastern Plains to . +230F on the Western Slope. 10 1996 WATER YEAR CL8 ~8 t. < ~ 2 u. e .e 0 L .. Od NOY Dee Jan Feb Mar Apr May' Jun J~I Aug Sep 1___ EutemPtlInt--+- Front Range '-IE- Mountlln. ---_WestemSlopel ';, o "I May - Sept 96 (Summer) precip percent of aveplge. 1996 Water Year precip as a percent of average. 72 ',' ';',-'-'-