Overview
- Nearly the entire country is unusually dry, with the latest U.S. Drought Monitor showing 49 states affected and California the lone outlier after a wet autumn.
- Colorado’s mountain snowpack is the lowest on record for this date at roughly 57–58% of normal, with SNOTEL sites logging record lows and weekly declines despite the heart of winter.
- Water managers say only repeated, multi‑foot storms would meaningfully close the deficit, as Denver Water estimates a single four‑foot snow event would be needed just to catch up.
- The West’s snow drought spans major basins, with the Upper Colorado at about 66% of average; winter recreation businesses report mounting losses and some resorts resorting to extreme measures to stay open.
- Bureau of Reclamation data show Lake Mead near 33% capacity and Lake Powell about 26%, with federal forecasts signaling further drops through 2027 as states weigh BOR’s draft post‑2026 operating plan ahead of a Feb. 14 negotiation deadline.