Overview
- New U.S. Drought Monitor data show 49 states with at least some abnormal dryness or drought, leaving California as the lone exception and more than 130 million people affected.
- Colorado reports its lowest snowpack on record for this point in winter with major basins at roughly 50% to 75% of normal, and NASA satellite data show early January snow cover across the West at a record low since 2001.
- The snow drought is squeezing the winter outdoor economy as some ski resorts resort to extreme measures to keep slopes open, while forecasters flag elevated spring and summer fire risks.
- A Bureau of Reclamation two-year outlook projects Colorado River flows well below normal, including a scenario where Lake Mead falls to about 27% of normal by 2027, with basin-state negotiations slated for February.
- Drought is severe far beyond the West, with high shares of Georgia, Maine, North Carolina, Florida, New Mexico, and Virginia in severe drought and more than two-thirds of Hawaii affected, as forecasts favor continued above-normal temperatures and limited relief.