Posts tagged as “fire ban”

The Arkansas River Basin Region is now in the driest and warmest period in its 131-year recorded weather history. But you don’t need to study meteorological data to see the very early signs of a dry spring. Flocks of Rocky Mountain Bluebirds and Meadow Larks have been spotted on the Valley floor, weeks before they normally return, and grass is greening on southern-facing slopes. An interesting report from the Arkansas River Watershed Collaborative, penned by Cecilia Timberg, showed that “Water Year 2026 is approximately 5°F warmer than the 1991–2020 average and 1.7°F warmer than the previous record set in 2018, according to Russ Schumacher, professor of atmospheric science at Colorado State University and the state climatologist.” For Custer and Fremont Counties, February was the warmest…