Wintry weather that blew through Colorado the past few weeks has done little to ease drought conditions, a sign the coming summer could be even more troublesome for residents across the state.

According to the United States drought monitor, eastern Colorado is suffering through some of the nation’s most severe drought conditions and Front Range communities are doing scarcely better. Already, 89 percent of the state is facing “severe or worse drought,” which could force some of Colorado’s largest water providers to implement significant watering restrictions on customers.

The Denver Post reports that Denver Water and Aurora Water customers could be restricted to watering only twice a week, and Colorado Springs is considering a similar restriction. "The snow that we have gotten in the city has been great for soil moisture locally, but what carries us throughout the summer is that melting mountain snow," Denver Water spokeswoman Stacy Chesney told the Post. "We haven't gotten much of it in two years."

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