Exceptional drought eases sharply in Gunnison County

October 16, 2026

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Exceptional drought in Gunnison County dropped to 21.72% of county area for the week of October 13, down from 50.40% seven weeks earlier in mid-September.¹ Late-September rains from Hurricane Polo, which brought more than twice normal monthly precipitation to southern Colorado, drove a one-to-two category drought improvement.² The sharp reversal from peak severity to just over one-fifth exceptional coverage marks the most significant drought relief this region has seen in recent months.¹

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