Ben Roof/Vail Daily archiveFollowing an extremely warm, dry summer on the Western Slope, recent rainfall is beginning to chip away at the worst of Colorado’s drought conditions. The effects of this recent rainfall in Western Colorado can also be seen in soil moisture levels. “A month ago-ish, it was near or record dry soil moisture at that time,” Schumacher said of Western Colorado. The month also ended with near-normal precipitation for most of western Colorado, which Schumacher said only tells part of the story. Western Colorado isn’t expected to see much precipitation over the next week, according to the seven-day forecast from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.