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ry01918 decayed hurricane helped produce record rainfall in 8!1 area from near Grand Junction northeastward to WaIden. BuffaJo Pass, near Steamboat Springs totaled a reltlllrlalble 8" of rain Scp. 18.21. In total, the 1997wateryearwas a wet one for Colorado with the majority of the state receiving more than BooA. of the annual average: 1997 Water Year 1997 Water Year Deseriotlou. The 1997wateryear brought above average precipitation to most of Colorado. Temperatures ended up close to the 1961-1990 averages. The dramatic onset ofuEI Nino" condition~ in the Pacific region with veJY wann sea surface temperatures captured the interest and attention of the counlly and may have contributed to a wet swnmer in much. of the state. Temoeratures.. From October 1996 throughFebrwuy 1997, Colorado experienced a fairly typical range of temperature. Nighttime temperatures were above average in the mountain~ interrupted by a few brief but biting cold . blasts. For example, Taylor Park had a high of _90F and a low of -400 on December IS. Eastern Colorado'~ worst cold wave came Janwuy 10-14. March was unusually warm, but April compe1l$llfed with monthly temperature~ as much as 60F colder than average. May-August tem- peratures were near average but the growiug season was long. The water year ended with a veJY wanu September. Some mountain commw1lties escaped without fro~t. 6 1997 WATER YEAR ~4 ~2 fa ... ~-2 ... e '2-4 t .s Oct Nov Dee Jon F.o _ ApI" May Jun Jul Aug S.p 1-- Eli.", Plalnll -+- Front Range ............ Moun.1ns ~ Western s!opt J Precioitation. The first foui' months of the 1997 water year were wetter than average over the mountains and Western Slope, while eastern Colorado was dty. A series of modest stonos whitened the plains in Febrwuy. March was warm, dty and docile statewide. April made up for it with heavy precipitation except on the northeast plains. A late-month storm dumped two to four feet of ~now in one day on the eastern foothills. Overall, October-April precipitation was 110% to 150"10 of average over the western Colorado, while northeast Colorado received le~s than 50% of average. Growing season precipitation was highly variable mostly on the wet side nearly eveIyWherein the state. DJY weather from mid June into late July was followed by heavy stonos with locally flooding rains from late July into August. Up to 14" of rain produced Severe flash floods in Fort Collins on July 28 and the Sterling area on the 29th and 30th. In September, moisture from a ~ j, "- j COLORADO , :\ . .J ] f Oct 96 - Apr 97 (Winter) precip percent of average. COLORADO "', '" May - Sep 97 (Summer) poop percent of average. C.OLORADO 73 1997 Water Year precipitation as a percent of average. . - ... -,,~ "'.,..;"""....,..