Western Snow Drought Threatens Water Supplies, Winter Tourism

Lack of snowpack in the West raises concerns about water availability and impacts to local economies.

Published on Feb. 5, 2026

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The western United States is experiencing a severe snow drought this winter, with record-low snowpack levels in many states. Warm temperatures have prevented snow from accumulating, leading to sharply reduced mountain snowpack. This is threatening water supplies and winter tourism industries that rely on heavy snowfall. Experts warn the snow drought could have cascading impacts across the region.

Why it matters

The snowpack in the West typically acts as a natural water reservoir, slowly releasing water through the spring and summer. Without an adequate snowpack, rivers run lower, soils dry out earlier, and drought conditions can deepen. This poses major challenges for water management, agriculture, and ecosystems across the region. The snow drought is also impacting local economies that rely on winter sports and tourism.

The details

Much of the western U.S. entered winter already grappling with drought, and the lack of snowfall this season has only exacerbated the problem. Utah is facing the worst drought conditions, with over 94% of the state experiencing moderate drought or worse. Salt Lake City has received only a tenth of an inch of snow so far this season, the lowest on record. Snowpack levels are also critically low in Colorado, Oregon, and Montana. The reduced snowpack threatens water supplies for over 40 million people who rely on the Colorado River system. It also impacts winter sports and tourism, with Vail Resorts reporting a 20% decline in skier visits so far this season.

  • December 2025 was the warmest December on record for many western cities.
  • So far this winter, Colorado is experiencing its warmest winter since 1934, while Utah is experiencing its warmest winter on record.

The players

Jon Meyer

Assistant Utah state climatologist.

Eric Sproles

Associate professor of earth sciences at Montana State University.

Marcene Mitchell

Senior vice president for climate change at the World Wildlife Fund.

Rob Katz

Chief Executive Officer of Vail Resorts.

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What they’re saying

“This winter, we've just had an extreme lack of storm activity, and the storms that we have had have either brought very small amounts of snowfall or have brought rain.”

— Jon Meyer, Assistant Utah state climatologist (wbal.com)

“If you look at the the amount of water that's stored in the snow pack is, it's pretty bleak.”

— Eric Sproles, Associate professor of earth sciences at Montana State University (wbal.com)

“The resort winter tourism is a huge economic backbone for many of these mountain resort communities. And so as they lose their snowfall, they also lose these revenue.”

— Marcene Mitchell, Senior vice president for climate change at the World Wildlife Fund (wbal.com)

“We experienced one of the worst early season snowfalls in the western U.S. in over 30 years, which limited our ability to open terrain and negatively impacted visitation and ancillary spending for both local and destination guests during the period.”

— Rob Katz, Chief Executive Officer of Vail Resorts (wbal.com)

What’s next

Forecasters caution that the pattern of above-average precipitation may not last for the rest of February, with overall warmer and drier-than-average conditions still favored for the month as a whole.

The takeaway

The snow drought in the West highlights the region's critical dependence on snowpack for water supplies and the vulnerability of local economies that rely on winter tourism. This underscores the need for proactive water management and climate adaptation strategies to build resilience in the face of a changing climate.