A portion of Colorado has entered into the most severe stage of dryness that's measured by the U.S. Drought Monitor, at a threshold that hasn't been seen since July of 2021. This level of dryness exceeds a tier in which insect infestations, fish kills, and large fires start to occur, and enters into a situation where dust storms can become widespread, along with major financial losses in agricultural and recreation industries.

The United States Drought Monitor judges drought on four tiers, also monitoring a preliminary stage in which abnormal dryness is present. Per an August 21 report, about 70 percent of the state is abnormally dry or worse, with about 54 percent of the state falling into a technical tier of drought. It's not too uncommon for these levels of dryness to be reached, but a

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