East Boulder County Now Under 'Extreme Drought' Conditions

BOULDER COUNTY, CO — East Boulder County has moved from 'severe' to 'extreme' drought, according to a U.S. Drought Monitor report published Thursday.

The exceptionally dry weather has increased fire risk across the state, which is seeing one of the warmest Novembers on record.

Mild drought conditions hit Boulder County in mid-September, and since then, the drought has worsened to 'severe' or 'extreme' in most local regions, according to the monitor, which is published by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the National Drought Mitigation Center.

U.S. Drought Monitor Scale:

• D0: Abnormally Dry
• D1: Moderate Drought
• D2: Severe Drought
• D3: Extreme Drought
• D4: Exceptional Drought

The higher elevations are not getting snowpack, and Denver's metro area has gone more than 200 days without measurable snowfall, weather officials said.

Temperatures are expected to drop over the weekend in Boulder, but highs will still remain in the late 50s to mid 60s, according to the National Weather Service.