Fire danger remains high in several counties

Fieldwork continued to progress for the week ending April 8 despite minor precipitation events across the state, according to USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service, Mountain Regional Field Office, Colorado. Some areas received scattered moisture last week, but others remained dry, and much of the state continued to see adverse effects due to widespread drought conditions. In northwestern counties, the northern mountains saw heavy snow in areas and some rain at lower elevations. A reporter noted that producers were kept out of fields due to rain and melting snow. Reporters in northeastern counties noted continued dry weather remained a key concern for rangeland and fall planted crop conditions going forward. A reporter noted that high winds early in the week in Kiowa County damaged the growing winter wheat crop, which was already stressed due to a continued lack of moisture. Other counties reported multiple rangeland fires and that fire danger remained high due to dry and windy weather. In southwestern counties, welcome moisture was reported late in the week, but extreme drought conditions persisted. In the San Luis Valley, reporters noted conditions were ideal for barley planting to begin in earnest. As of April 9, snowpack in Colorado was 71 percent measured as percent of median snowfall. The Southwest and San Luis Valley were 42 and 43 percent, respectively.