With a depositional basin of approximately 8,000 square miles, Colorado’s San Luis Valley is widely considered the largest alpine valley in the world. It’s roughly the size of Connecticut at 122 miles long and 74 miles wide with an average elevation of 7,664 feet. And this year, August in the valley was quite dry.

According to the National Weather Service out of Pueblo, August in Alamosa was the driest August for the city on record. Throughout the month, just 0.10 inches of precipitation fell, 1.19 inches below the norm. It’s also worth noting that it was the 6th warmest August on record in Alamosa, with an average temperature of 64.7 degrees – 1.5 degrees higher than the norm.

Despite the recent dryness, drought is not a concern in the valley as of Aug. 24, according to the US Drought Monitor, despite the area experiencing drought conditions for several months earlier in the year. While more than 50 percent of Colorado is experiencing abnormal dryness or drought, this region is not included.

Meanwhile, Pueblo recorded the 15th warmest August on record, with an average temperature of 76.4 degrees, which is 1.6 degrees above the norm. This is significantly below the warmest August ever in Pueblo – in 1970, when the average temperature was 79.8 degrees.