August M
Winter storms have blanketed parts of the United States with snow and ice, but much of the American West is heading in the opposite direction.
Scientists warn that unusually low mountain snowpack could strain water supplies, raise wildfire risks and intensify political pressure over shared rivers in the months ahead.
According to NBC News, several Western states are now facing what experts describe as a “snow drought,” with snowpack levels at or near record lows.
Records already broken
Colorado is among the hardest hit. State climatologists say snow levels across its mountain ranges are far below normal for this point in the season.
“The snowpack is the lowest on record for this point in the season,” said Peter Goble, Colorado’s assistant state climatologist. “All of our mountain ranges are well below normal.”
Utah is seeing similar conditions. Kevin Perry, an atmospheric scientist at the University of Utah, said the state is approaching unprecedented territory.
“We’re in uncharted territory right now, and we’re headed toward the lowest snowpack we’ve ever had on Feb. 1,” Perry said.
Why it matters
Mountain snowpack acts as a natural reservoir, slowly releasing water through spring and summer. Low levels can limit irrigation for farms, reduce hydropower generation and worsen wildfire seasons.
Data from the Natural Resources Conservation Service, which monitors snowpack at more than 800 high-elevation sites, shows that nearly every major Western basin is trending below average. Scientists say it is rare for deficits to be so widespread at once.
In Washington state, climbers on Mount Saint Helens in mid-January reported conditions more typical of early summer, with exposed volcanic rock near the crater rim.
Warm winter effect
Researchers say unusually warm temperatures are a major factor. Much of the West recorded record or near-record warmth in December, causing precipitation to fall as rain instead of snow.
“Washington, Oregon, California and many Western states had their warmest December ever on record,” said Philip Mote, a professor at Oregon State University.
In Utah, early-season rain melted snow below about 9,000 feet, leaving only higher elevations well covered. Colorado, meanwhile, has remained persistently warm and dry.
Little relief ahead
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration expects dry conditions to persist across much of the West in the coming weeks, with above-average temperatures likely to continue.
If low snowpack holds, it could add urgency to stalled negotiations among seven states over how to divide water from the Colorado River, which supplies about 40 million people.
“In the short run, having a low snowpack year may raise the urgency of coming to some of those agreements,” Goble said.
Sources: NBC News
