Drought

Below average snowfall this year is hurting the ski industry's bottom line in the Rocky Mountains, as resorts work to get guests on the slope with less snow. CSU Professor Michael Childers says this should prompt long-term thinking about climate change and the ski industry.

At less than 140,000 square miles, snow cover across the region was the lowest ever recorded on February 1 in the satellite record, which goes back to 2001. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS) call it the “worst snowpack on record.”

A lack of snow, compounded by warm temperatures, has plagued Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming. That will impact how much water is available come spring runoff.

Cold temperatures have settled over much of the Mountain West this winter, but precipitation has been harder to come by, leaving large parts of the region unusually dry for late January.

The proposals range from taking "no action" to a scenario that might result in water cuts to the lower basin states of California, Nevada and Arizona. One alternative developed in partnership with conservation groups would incentivize states and water users to proactively conserve the river.

A new report finds that rising temperatures are making droughts across the Mountain West and Southwest even worse — and longer-lasting.

Hot, dry weather and abundant fuels created the perfect storm for lightning-caused fires on the Western Slope and in southeastern Utah. Drought forecasters are predicting little relief later this summer.

A new analysis shows more than two-thirds of data centers built—or in development—since 2022 are in drought-prone areas, including parts of the Mountain West. Experts warn this could strain water supplies for cities and farmers.

For decades, hydrologists believed most spring snowmelt rapidly enters rivers and streams. But a new study from the University of Utah shows that most of it spends years as groundwater before it spills into reservoirs – new research that could help western water managers and farmers better plan each year.

Drought conditions in the Rocky Mountains could further lower water levels at Lake Powell.