2026's historic snow drought is bad news for the West For much of the Western US, winter 2026 was the year snow never came.

"The record-low snowpack may be a harbinger of what a warmer future will look like in the western US."

arstechnica.com/science/2026... #badnews #coloradoriver #drought #lakepowell #precipitation #rain #snowdrought #snowpack #stresstest #water #waterrights #westernstates #wildfires #wildfireseason

Cotten: It is not a good year as far as #snowpack and many SNOTEL locations are already melted-out. However, streamflow right now is looking okay, there is a lot of water in the #RioGrande at this time for example. That means that the little snowpack we had is already coming out. #2026RioGrande

Cotten: #Colorado #snowpack map. Good new is the #RioGrande is not the lowest in the state. #2026RioGrande

An unprecedented spring heat wave — Allie Mazurek (#Colorado Climate Center) #snowpack #runoff Click the link to read the article on the Colorado Climate Center website (Allie Mazurek): March 26, 2026 Last week’s heat wave was record-smashing, extraordinary, and impossible to ignore. Given t…

An unprecedented spring heat wave --- Allie Mazurek (#Colorado Climate Center) #snowpack #runoff coyotegulch.blog/2026/03/28/a...

As Storms Pummel Hawaii, the Western U.S. Continues to Bake Amid Record-Breaking Heat Wave - Inside Climate News Unusually high March temperatures are shattering records out West—and the heat wave isn’t over yet.

It's only March but high temperatures and drought conditions and weak snowpack across the West and much of the United States foretells a harsh summer with more and intense wildfires.

insideclimatenews.org/news/2403202...

#ClimateChange #Heatwave #Drought #Snowpack #West #Midwest #wildfire #heat

As expected, after 10 days of unprecedented March warmth, snowpack across Colorado has been absolutely decimated, now sitting at 34% of normal statewide. (1/3)

#COWx #Colorado #Snowpack #Denver #ColoradoRiver #Drought #heatwave

2026's historic snow drought is bad news for the West https://arstechni.ca #anthropogenicclimatechange #climatechange #megadrought #syndication #snowpack #Science #drought

Grim outlook: #Colorado faces limited water supply after record-low #snowpack — Russ Schumacher (Colorado Climate Center) #runoff Lake Dillon, a reservoir in Colorado’s Summit County, is owned and managed by Denver Water and supplies water to people living in Metro Denver. It is Denver Water’s largest reservoir and provides a…

Grim outlook: #Colorado faces limited water supply after record-low #snowpack -- Russ Schumacher (Colorado Climate Center) #runoff coyotegulch.blog/2026/03/26/g...

2026’s historic snow #drought brings worries about water, wildfires and the future in the West -- Alejandro N. Flores (TheConversation.com) #snowpack #runoff #ColoradoRiver #COriver #aridification coyotegulch.blog/2026/03/26/2...

This is a graph of #snowpack above #LakePowell using 104 snow measuring stations. It was 9 inches of water on March 7, now 6 inches. Other dry years shown.There is no historical analog to this — Brad ... Colorado River snowpack evolution since Oct 2025. Melt started about March 7. Down to 6Inches now from 9 inches then. There is no historical analog.

This is a graph of #snowpack above #LakePowell using 104 snow measuring stations. It was 9 inches of water on March 7, now 6 inches. Other dry years shown.There is no historical analog to this -- Brad Udall #ColoradoRiver #COriver #aridification coyotegulch.blog/2026/03/26/t...

Environmental Research Letter: #Snowpack decline kindles more severe fire in the western United States — Jared A. Balik, Jonathan D. Coop, and Sean A. Parks Figure 1. Forested regions across western contiguous US with ⩾20 mm maximum snow water equivalent (SWEmax) over the 1985–2021 study period. Pixels are color-coded according to their respective Hydr…

Environmental Research Letter: #Snowpack decline kindles more severe fire in the western United States -- Jared A. Balik, Jonathan D. Coop, and Sean A. Parks coyotegulch.blog/2026/03/26/e...

Mountain towns see record-breaking temps as #snowpack and ski season take a hit — Summit Daily Westwide SNOTEL basin-filled map March 24, 2026. Click the link to read the article on the Summit Daily website (Andrea Teres-Martinez). Here’s an excerpt: March 23, 2026 With cooler weather …

Mountain towns see record-breaking temps as #snowpack and ski season take a hit -- Summit Daily coyotegulch.blog/2026/03/25/m...

#Snowpack news March 23, 2026 coyotegulch.blog/2026/03/23/s...

The (new) water year of our discontent: The record low #snowpack is likely to lead to record low streamflows -- Jonathan P. Thompson (LandDesk.org) #runoff coyotegulch.blog/2026/03/23/t...

#Colorado now has the worst #snowpack on record for this date. Buckle up. 🧪 🌡️ 🥵

#Denver Water #snowpack and water supply update: March 16, 2026, snowpack update for Denver Water’s collection area — News on Tap #SouthPlatteRiver #ColoradoRiver Click the link to read the article on the Denver Water website: March 16, 2026 Esta historia está disponible en español a continuación. Denver Water depends on mountain snowpack for 90% of its wate…

#Denver Water #snowpack and water supply update: March 16, 2026, snowpack update for Denver Water’s collection area -- News on Tap #SouthPlatteRiver #ColoradoRiver coyotegulch.blog/2026/03/20/d...

BoulderCAST Daily – Wed 03/18/26 | Extreme southwest heat dome targets Colorado with temperature records set to be obliterated the rest of the week 🔥 Record‑shattering ridge builds over the Southwest, sending hot, bone‑dry air into Colorado and setting the stage for unprecedented mid‑March heat. 🌡️ Highs near 80° today, then mid to upper 80s Thu–...

(1/3) An extreme Southwest heat dome enters Colorado with temperature records set to be obliterated the rest of the week triggering rapid mountain snowmelt.

#COwx #Colorado #Denver #COsnow #Boulder #Heatwave #Snowpack

The March 12, 2026 Intermountain West Climate briefing is hot off the presses from Western Water Assessment #snowpack #runoff Click the link to read the briefing on the Western Water Assessment website: March 12, 2025 – CO, UT, WY Much of the region experienced its warmest February on record, and Colorado, Utah, and…

The March 12, 2026 Intermountain West Climate briefing is hot off the presses from Western Water Assessment #snowpack #runoff coyotegulch.blog/2026/03/18/t...

#Colorado’s dust-free snow is a bright spot in an otherwise poor winter — Shannon Mullane (Fresh Water News) #snowpack #runoff Click the link to read the article on the Water Education Colorado website (Shannon Mullane): March 12, 2026 An otherwise dismal snow year in Colorado has one clear upside: At least the snow that h…

#Colorado’s dust-free snow is a bright spot in an otherwise poor winter -- Shannon Mullane (Fresh Water News) #snowpack #runoff coyotegulch.blog/2026/03/18/c...

Not looking good at all -- Allen Best (BigPivots.com) #snowpack #runoff coyotegulch.blog/2026/03/17/n...

WA's recent, big snow storm helped #snowpack in the PacNW, but didn't bring us back to normal. Western WA is still below 70%. Oregon and California are way worse.

nwcc-apps.sc.egov.usda.gov/imap/#versio...

#Snowpack news March 16, 2026 Westwide SNOTEL basin-filled map March 15, 2026. Colorado snowpack basin-filled map March 15, 2026. Note that the NRCS graphs have not updated since Saturday, March 14, 2026 and that many of the gr…

#Snowpack news March 16, 2026 coyotegulch.blog/2026/03/16/s...

Metro #Denver cities begin enacting mandatory outdoor watering limits for spring as #drought, warmth continue — The Denver Post #snowpack Click the link to read the article on The Denver Post website (John Aguilar). Here’s an excerpt: March 15, 2026 Thornton is first to adopt restrictions; Denver Water, others prepare similar m…

Metro #Denver cities begin enacting mandatory outdoor watering limits for spring as #drought, warmth continue -- The Denver Post #snowpack coyotegulch.blog/2026/03/16/m...

#Colorado ski towns see ‘strong’ decline in spring break bookings due to low-snowfall season, market study shows: Steamboat reservations for March down 10%; Western Slope towns promote off-mountain sp... The Yampa River Core Trail runs right through downtown Steamboat. Photo credit City of Steamboat Springs. Click the link to read the article on the Steamboat Pilot & Today website (Andrea Teres…

#Colorado ski towns see ‘strong’ decline in spring break bookings due to low-snowfall season, market study shows: Steamboat reservations for March down 10%; Western Slope towns promote off-mountain spring break activities -- Steamboat Pilot & Today #snowpack coyotegulch.blog/2026/03/14/c...

Real-time snowpack intelligence for Mt. Rainier. 7 SNOTEL ground sensors + NASA MODIS satellite + live NPS webcams, all piped through an hourly GitHub Actions pipeline. Basin avg SWE: 18.3” and climbing. ❄️📡
🔗 bdgroves.github.io/rainier-snowpack
#WAwx #PNWwx #Cascades #MtRainier #Snowpack #SNOTEL

#Drought news March 12, 2026: The low #snowpack throughout the Central Rockies, especially #Colorado, remains a major concern heading into the spring coyotegulch.blog/2026/03/12/d...

Record-low #snowpack tests #Colorado’s recreation economy — Katy Marquardt Hill (CU Boulder Today) Photo credit: University of Colorado at Boulder Click the link to read the article on the University of Colorado website (Katy Marquardt Hill): March 11, 2026 Colorado’s snowpack is at its lowest i…

Record-low #snowpack tests #Colorado's recreation economy -- Katy Marquardt Hill (CU Boulder Today) coyotegulch.blog/2026/03/13/r...

Snow Drought Current Conditions and Impacts in the West | March 12, 2026 | Drought.gov NIDIS and its partners release these snow drought updates for the Western U.S. every 4 weeks from December through June.

Warm February further reduces record low snowpack
www.drought.gov/drought-stat...
#watercycle #snowpack #snowdrought #wildfire #water
#hydrology

#Whitebarkpine🌲 CUT-OFF MOUNTAIN?

The past 10 yrs—on foot or bike or skis—
I’ve noticed an increase of the DRYING OUT
of the top 10cm of soil, of vernal streams &
springs below 2400 to 1000m.

Where #SNOWPACK once lingered till
the end of JULY, it‘s now gone by
the end of MAY.

#ClimateBREAKDOWN

EXCEPTIONAL HEATWAVE BREWING FOR NEXT WEEK IN COLORADO

A powerful ridge is about to park itself over the West next week -- stronger and closer to Colorado than anything we’ve seen in a long time.

#COWX #Colorado #Snowpack #Heatwave #COsnow