In 2011-2012, Colorado had an extremely dry winter, with only 13% of the average precipitation.

It has a very dry and cold winter with periodically wet summers.

Cold, dry winters offer them the best chances of survival.

"We have to conserve if there is a third dry winter," he said.

And because this has been an unusually dry winter, expectations for another bad summer run high.

The region has a continental climate with cold, dry winters and hot summer.

April marks the start of the transition from the cold, dry winter to the summer rainy season.

October is the transition month between the summer rainy season and the cold, dry winter.

And cold dry winters are supposed to be the thing now.

And why does that happen after years of mild, relatively dry winters?