DENVER — Colorado’s drought is getting worse, with unusually dry conditions across more than 85 percent of the state.
The U.S. Drought Monitor’s weekly report released Thursday shows conditions are worst in the southwest corner of the state, where all or parts of about 20 counties are listed in an exceptional drought, the worst of four categories.
The Drought Monitor’s map shows more than 16 percent of the state is in exceptional drought, up from 13 percent a week earlier and 9 percent three months ago.
About 32 percent of the state is in the next-worst category, extreme drought.
Severely dry conditions extend across the Southwestern U.S. Parts of Arizona, New Mexico and Utah are also classified as being under exceptional drought.
US #Drought Monitor 9 27 18: Drought shrank this week to just under 30% of Lower 48 states, with improvement across Texas, but intensification in Idaho, Nevada, Utah and Colorado.
pic.twitter.com/wiyx6h4fpD — Drought Center (@DroughtCenter) September 27, 2018