Colorado’s 2025-26 winter left the state facing an uncertain summer: Snowpack hit record lows and melted weeks earlier than usual, worsening drought conditions.
By spring, most of Boulder County was in extreme drought. The city declared a drought watch, and officials warned of a potentially dangerous fire season.
Now, with summer over, monsoon moisture has eased wildfire conditions in Boulder County. But it has done little to replenish the city’s water supply, and Boulder expects to remain under a drought watch this fall.
“Though that will depend on weather, water supply conditions and community water use,” said city spokesperson Janine Haan.
City staff are monitoring streamflow, reservoir storage and water available from the Colorado River, which is pumped to the Front Range through the Colorado-Big Thompson Project, Haan said. In mid-September, Boulder’s reservoirs were 76% full, compared with an average of 88% for that time of year.
Haan said residents have significantly reduced their outdoor water use this year. The city’s new waterwise rules also prohibit watering from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. through Sept. 30, and staff have encouraged residents to limit lawn watering to twice per week. Conserving water now could help if the drought lasts into next year.
Monsoon rains have raised flows in Boulder Creek, bringing some relief to wildlife. But the city relies largely on snowmelt for its water supply, so the summer rain has done little to refill its reservoirs.
For firefighters, however, the summer moisture has made a noticeable difference. Seth McKinney, fire management officer for the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office, said increased humidity and cloud cover have made firefighting easier. Afternoon storms have also begun to soak into thick fuels. Plant matter more than eight inches in diameter, also known as “thousand-hour fuels” because it can take weeks for moisture levels to change, is an indicator of how dry conditions are. McKinney has noticed those fuels slowly regaining some moisture.
“Not a ton, but enough to make a little bit of a difference, enough to warrant changing fire restrictions,” McKinney said. The sheriff’s office downgraded restrictions earlier this month. Western unincorporated Boulder County is now under Stage 1 restrictions, while restrictions on the plains have been lifted.
One longer-term concern is the mountain pine beetle outbreak, though McKinney said it has not yet affected firefighting efforts. The outbreak is expected to worsen in the coming years. While the beetle is native to Colorado, persistent drought and overcrowded forests have weakened trees, and officials sounded the alarm earlier this year. Infested trees develop dying red needles that can carry flames into the canopy, where fires are difficult to contain. Dead trees are less likely to spread fire but can pose a falling hazard.
“It’s a slow-moving freight train. We’re in the incipient stages,” McKinney said.
The full impact of this summer’s beetle infestation season is not yet clear because newly infected trees may still appear green, said Boulder County forestry supervisor Shane Milne. Preliminary aerial survey data from the Colorado State Forest Service show clusters of beetle-killed trees along Lefthand Canyon Drive and just southwest of Gold Hill.
The long fire season has also taken a toll on Boulder County’s wildland firefighters. The county first enacted fire restrictions on the plains in December 2025. They weren’t lifted until Sept. 11. Periods of high fire danger demand more staffing and vigilance at home, while the county also sends crews to help fight fires elsewhere. In early September, Boulder County firefighters were deployed to Texas and Washington, with a crew preparing to leave for Oklahoma.
“We’re the same number of firefighters, but we’re seeing an increase in fires,” McKinney said.
Firefighters have worked weekends and frequently changed their schedules. McKinney hopes more moisture will give them time to rest.
Firefighting once followed a more predictable seasonal rhythm, he said: six busy months, followed by time to recover or focus on mitigation work. Since the Calwood Fire in October 2020 and the Marshall Fire in December 2021, crews have been much more vigilant during what was once the “off-season.”
That vigilance will continue into fall, when strong winds can create dangerous conditions for wildfire spread, especially if snow is scarce.
McKinney said forecasts point to a wetter winter, but he wants to see the snow before he can relax.
“I’m cautiously optimistic things will work out in our favor,” he said. “I’d like to see a good amount of moisture before I sleep well at night.”
