Has 2026 Been the Driest Year in Colorado History?

Grand Junction and Western Colorado don't exactly have a reputation for rainy weather, but the lack of rain in 2026 has the Grand Valley feeling bone dry.

2026 has been confirmed as the warmest on record in Colorado, and you don’t have to look very hard to see the impact on rivers, lakes, and reservoirs on the Western Slope.

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Low Water Levels in the Valley and on Grand Mesa

How Does 2026 Rank Among Western Colorado's Driest Years? — TSM GJ W Adams

Grand Mesa's famous Island Lake is looking a little different this September. The water level is low enough that the "island" has temporarily rejoined the shoreline. Several of our favorite lakes on the mesa look just like this one. Very low, and some are empty. Current data from Drought.gov shows Mesa County at 4.03 inches below normal rainfall for January through August 2026. The lack of rain isn't just in Grand Junction. Estimates rank the year as the 9th-driest period in Mesa County's 132-year record.

Grand Junction's 2026 Rainfall Totals (So Far)

The NOAA station identified as the Grand Junction Weather Forecasting Office has an annual precipitation normal of around 11.37 inches. That number is the 30-year average. The National Weather Service says average rainfall for Grand Junction is around 9.5 inches.

No matter which office you follow, Grand Junction’s rainfall is still coming up short. In 2025, we got 7.19 inches total. Well short of the average. This year it’s worse. We’re at 2.91 inches after 8 months. Well off the pace again. Here’s this year’s month-by-month snapshot for rainfall in Grand Junction according to the NWS:

January Average: 0.77" / January Total: .34”
February Average: 0.65" / February Total: .25”
March Average: 0.87" / March Total: .02”
April Average: 1.06" / April Total: .83”
May Average: 1.27" / May Total: .44”
June Average: 0.60" / June Total: .10”
July Average: 0.89" / July Total: .07”
August Average: 1.03" / August Total: .53”
September Average: 1.47"
September Total: .62” as of 9/16
October Average: 1.27"
October Total:
November Average: 0.81"
November Total:
December Average: 0.68"
December Total:
Those figures total approximately 11.37 inches annually.

How are Water Levels Elsewhere?

In September, Blue Mesa Reservoir in Western Colorado is at less than 20% capacity. Vega Reservoir was holding about 2,950 acre-feet on September 10, just 8.7% of its 33,800-acre-foot capacity. By comparison, Highline Lake in Loma has a total storage capacity of about 3,400 acre-feet and is estimated to be about 75% full.

LOOK: Photos Show What Summer Did to the Colorado River

We kept an eye on the Colorado River in Grand Junction from May through September to see how an incredibly hot summer would affect water levels already stressed by poor snowpack and a lack of rainfall. Here's how the river looked from the southern bank at Eagle Rim as the summer unfolded.

Gallery Credit: Wesley Adams

KEEP GOING: Colorado's Grand Mesa Is Turning Gold: See the Photos

It's official: the Grand Mesa has started turning gold. The following photos were taken on Friday, September 11. Fall color will continue to peak now through Powderhorn's fall color weekend on September 26 and 27.

Gallery Credit: Wesley Adams