"Data from the US Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation Service shows that out of approximately 70 river basins across the Western US, only five are at or above the 1991-2020 median snow water equivalent for this time of year."
"11 basins have less than 25 percent of the 1991-2020 median, and more than half are below 50 percent. The headwaters of critically important rivers, including the Colorado, the Columbia, and the Missouri, are peppered with basins that are far below historical averages."
"Other important measures of snow water storage and ecosystem health, including which areas have snow cover in the Western US and how long it's been there, also point toward snow reserves that are far below recent years."
"Just because the Western US is in a snow drought doesn't mean it isn't getting precipitation. Temperatures have been high enough since the start of the water year in October that a lot of what normally would have f."
Winter 2026 in the Western United States saw unprecedented snow drought, with many ski resorts closing early. Temperatures soared, reaching the low 80s in Boise and 105°F in Phoenix. Snowpacks, crucial for summer water supplies, were significantly below historical averages, with only five out of 70 river basins meeting the 1991-2020 median snow water equivalent. Most basins reported less than 50 percent of expected snow water, raising alarms for water managers and fire officials regarding summer water availability.
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