Driving back to Colorado this morning, the landscape was noticeably drier than usual from the High Plains westward. None of the rivers (except for the South Platte) held water and the grasslands had browned out, an unusual appearance for April, one of the snowiest months along the Front Range.
Of course, the desiccated landscape reflects the unusually warm and snowless winter in this region. The small amount of snow received from the most recent Pacific storm was not enough to make a difference and has already disappeared. Here on our Littleton farm, the shrubs and pastures have held up well but our "lawns" are not the least bit green. In addition, the recent hard freeze killed off the unfurling leaves in many of the trees but these should recover as the temperature rebounds.
Indeed, we expect warm, sunny weather for the next week; no rain is forecast until next weekend. As always, the dry air has its benefits: cool nights and more tolerable daytime heat. But we desperately need precipitation, in any form; perhaps May will bring a welcome change.
