Southeastern Colorado’s monsoon season has been active this year, but not out of the ordinary in many places.
Stephen Hodanish, senior meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Pueblo, said cities like Colorado Springs and Pueblo along the southern I-25 corridor have received slightly below the average amount of precipitation so far this year. Past years have been so dry, he said, that it feels like it’s been particularly rainy this summer.
“Comparing it to last year and years gone by, we had all the fires and everything, it feels like it’s been wetter,” he said. “But in reality this is the more normal pattern that we should be in.”
For example, by August 24, Colorado Springs had received 12.06 inches of precipitation for the year. A normal year would see 12.67 inches by the same date.
While southern Front Range cities have seen a relatively normal year, Hodanish said it’s been significantly wetter than usual in the mountains.
Additionally, Alamosa in the San Luis Valley has seen close to record precipitation so far this year.
Looking ahead to the winter, Hodanish said he expects the region to remain in a La Niña cycle, meaning it’s likely to be a drier winter.
