NCDC: Climate of 2002 - September

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Climate of 2002 - September
Colorado Drought

National Climatic Data Center, 11 October 2002

September Statewide Overview / September 2001-August 2002 Review

September Statewide Overview

This month was the 20th wettest September, statewide, in the 108-year record. However, the extreme dryness of the previous eleven months has resulted in the driest hydrologic year (October-September) on record.

According to media reports (Denver Post, 9/13), Governor Owens lifted the state fire ban in state parks and private property on September 12.

Statewide Precipitation Ranks
for Colorado , 2001-2002
Period	Rank
Sep	20^th wettest ( 89^th driest)
Aug-Sep	54^th driest
Jul-Sep	20^th driest
Jun-Sep	12^th driest
May-Sep	7^th driest
Apr-Sep	2^nd driest
Mar-Sep	1^st driest
Feb-Sep	1^st driest
Jan-Sep	1^st driest
Dec-Sep	1^st driest
Nov-Sep	1^st driest
Oct-Sep	1^st driest

Click here for graphic showing Colorado statewide precipitation departures, January 1998 - present

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Click here for graphic showing Colorado statewide Palmer Z Index, January 1998 - present

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Click here for graphic showing Colorado statewide precipitation, October-September 1895-2002

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Click here for graphic showing Colorado statewide Palmer Hydrological Drought Index, January 1900 - September 2002

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September 2001-August 2002 Review

A new analysis of the data during the last year (Sept 1, 2001 to August 31, 2002), in terms of the relative severity of the drought in Colorado, has been done by the Colorado state climatologist office (Dr. Roger Pielke Sr.). In aggregate, the analysis confirmed that Colorado has experienced the worst one year precipitation deficit in over 100 years. However, when the data are broken down into the climate divisions, this is not true everywhere within the state. For longer term deficits (e.g. the 4 year Standardized Precipitation Indices), we have experienced worst over the last 120 years.

Representative stations from each of the state's climate divisions are shown below:

Pueblo WSO     (1891-2002)        driest on record
Mesa Verde     (1923-2002)        driest on record
Center 4 SSW   (1891-2002)        driest on record
Taylor         (1941-2002)        driest on record
Fort Collins   (1889-2002)        third driest on record (1953/1954 and 1892/1893 were drier)
Leroy 7 WSW    (1891-2002)        third driest on record (1893/1894 and 1977/1978 were drier)
Cheyenne Wells (1897-2002)        fourth driest on record (1934/1935; 1955/1956;
                                  and 1933/1934 were drier)
Meeker         (1891-2002)        seventh driest on record (1901/1902; 1912/1913; 1945/1946;
                                  1970/1971; 1976/1977; and 1993/1994 were drier)

NCDC / Clim. Monitoring / Climate-2002 / Sep / U.S. Regional Drought / Search / Help

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