On Thursday, about half of Mesa County was moved from the extreme to exceptional drought category, the worst category there is, by the U.S. Drought Monitor, with much of the eastern and southern parts of the county now in that category.
Delta County has moved into the exceptional category too, and many southwestern Colorado counties continue to be in that category as well.
Also Thursday, the Garfield County Sheriff’s Office said fire restrictions are being reinstated in the county.
Fire conditions have impacted the Uncompahgre forest in another way, though, as authorities on Tuesday again had to close part of Forest Road 402, the Divide Road, due to renewed activity in the area of the 32,645-acre Bull Draw Fire on the Montrose-Mesa county border.
Phillips said the new restrictions were imposed when a lot of hunters were in the area.
In better news for forest visitors and particularly hunters, the Forest Service said Thursday it is lifting the closure area associated with the Cache Creek Fire southwest of Rifle, meaning the reopening of popular hunting areas and trails ahead of the start of the height of hunting season.
The 2,700-acre fire is 55 percent contained and continues to smolder in areas.
Nearly 130 firefighters continue to work on the Bull Draw Fire, which is 60 percent contained.
The National Weather Service in Grand Junction said on Twitter Tuesday that the city’s high temperature that day was 93 degrees, the 90th day this year where the high temperature reached 90 degrees or more, tying a record set in 1977.
Unfortunately, she said, it looks like the next few months more likely than not will be warmer than average, which means that if precipitation comes it’s less likely to come as snow to get the snowpack season off to a good start.