In a more temperate climate, five inches of rain over the course of a month might not be a big deal. But here in southern Colorado, where the annual rainfall is just over 13 inches, it is. The 5.55 inches of rain that fell in Pueblo during May was nearly five times the normal monthly average and resulted in it being the wettest May on record. Yes, the sustained wet-weather pattern that settled over the area last month was unusual. Pueblo’s more accustomed to short, intermittent, afternoon thunderstorms. By the time June arrived, more than a few folks were muttering about the damp, grey, “Seattle weather” and wondering if they’d ever see the sun or be able to wear shorts again.

The benefit of all that rain easily outweighed any inconvenience. Ranchers in southeastern Colorado have said the record rainfall has effectively ended southern Colorado’s drought. Meteorologists seem to agree.  It was cooler than normal, too. May temperatures broke the 80-degree mark just four times. In years past, daily temperatures would routinely hover in the mid 80-degree range in Pueblo. This year though, there was a 24-day stretch when it never got warmer than 79 degrees.

I moved here in 1998 and I’ve never seen the prairie this green this late in year. One of my favorite haunts, Lake Pueblo, was transformed by the wet, cool, weather. It went from dusty arroyos at the beginning of May to water-laced canyons with lush, grass-covered hillsides as June neared. It’s probably as close to rivaling the Olympic Peninsula Pueblo will ever get.