Meteorologist Issues Dire Water Warning for 4 States

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A renowned meteorologist recently shared a dire message about the state of the upper Colorado River watershed, which is composed of Wyoming, Utah, Colorado and New Mexico, amid a prolonged snow drought across the region. The meteorologist warned that even with average snow the rest of the season, the deficit in the upper Colorado River watershed will never be made up, which could have serious power and water ramifications going forward.

Why it matters

The upper Colorado River watershed is deep into a long-running drought that has steadily reduced the river's natural flows, a trend scientists attribute to declining precipitation, rising temperatures and increased water demands. With less snow accumulating and melting earlier in the season, the watershed delivers lower and less reliable runoff to Lake Powell, Lake Mead and downstream users, straining water supplies for states already facing allocation pressures.

The details

Prior to this week, the amount of water locked up in the existing snow cover was close to a record minimum in Colorado and Utah, which constitute a large part of the Colorado River basin. With limited spring runoff available, it could be a major problem for summer water concerns on the river and man-made lakes. Even if snowfall returns to average levels in the coming weeks, a full recovery of the snowpack is unlikely, as the upper Colorado River watershed snowpack was only 26 percent of median as of Friday.

• Denver, Colorado, did not see its first snowfall of the season until November 29, 2025, which was the second-latest first snowfall in the city's history.
• Earlier this month, meteorologists shared that Marianna, Florida, a town that typically doesn't see any snowfall during an average winter, had received 13 times as much snow as Salt Lake City, Utah, so far this winter.

What they’re saying