Hi Allen,

Spruces will naturally drop some of their inner needles seasonally. However, this needle browning and drop may be more drastic if the tree has endured some kind of stress. The purpling of spruce needle tips is a clue that the spruce may have endured drought-stress over the winter months. With that in mind, do you winter water your spruce? Has the area around your spruce been covered by snow for much of the winter? If not, it's likely that your tree did not receive enough moisture this winter, amidst our dry climate and sporadic higher temperatures. Here is a helpful resource that discusses how to winter water: https://extension.colostate.edu/topic-areas/yard-garden/fall-and-winter-watering-7-211/.

Thanks!

Hania