Littleton Now Under 'Extreme Drought' Conditions

LITTLETON, CO — Most of the Littleton area 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 Denver's metro area 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 - South Littleton's current classification
• D3: Extreme Drought - North Littleton's current classification
• D4: Exceptional Drought

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

Wednesday was the first day of meteorological winter, which set Denver's first officially snowless fall in the record books. The city received only half an inch of rain in the fall, making it the third-driest fall on record, officials said.