\u201cWe\u2019re still seeing the benefits of the monsoon season, and catching the edge of recent tropical storms in Mexico,\u201d Andrus said. \u201cWe\u2019re doing much better than last year.\u201d<\/p>\n
The recent rains have bumped up the flows on the Dolores River, helping to fill McPhee Reservoir, Dolores Water Conservancy District manager Mike Preston said.<\/p>\n
\u201cSince September 11, we have gained 12,211 acre-feet in storage,\u201d Preston said. \u201cThe increase is a combination of all of the recent rains and lower irrigation demand. Chances look good that at the beginning of the new water year, November 1, we will have better storage than a year ago.\u201d<\/p>\n
It is tempting to predict that good monsoons translate to heavy snowfall for winter, but historically that is not the case, said Joe Ramey, a weather service meteorologist in Grand Junction.<\/p>\n
\u201cSince 1950, there has not been a correlation of a wet fall to a wet winter during El Ni\u00c3\u00b1o-neutral years, which is what we have now,\u201d he said. \u201cThis is similar to the wet fall in 2001, which resulted in a dry winter for your area.\u201d<\/p>\n