West Faces Record Snow Drought as Warm Weather Persists

Ski resorts, snowmobilers, and water resources struggle with lack of snowfall across the region.

Feb. 1, 2026 at 4:55am

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An extreme snow drought and unusually warm weather are keeping skiers off the mountains, snowmobilers off the trails, and water levels low across much of the Western United States. The extent of snow-covered ground is at a record low, with many areas famed for deep natural snow seeing only inches rather than feet. The lack of snowpack is adding to a 26-year megadrought in the region and raising concerns about water resources for the coming year.

Why it matters

Snow in the mountains provides natural storage for water in the arid West, and the runoff is a primary water resource for millions of Western residents and for irrigating farm fields and filling trout streams and reservoirs. The stunning decline in snowpack in the Colorado Rockies and the Colorado River basin is the latest backdrop for tense negotiations between Upper and Lower Basin states on how the river will be managed in the future.

The details

From December 1 to January 15, temperatures were up to 15 degrees above normal in the Rockies, the Cascades, and the Sierra Nevada. Colorado is having its warmest winter since 1895, and precipitation that normally would have arrived as snow instead appeared as rain and caused widespread flooding. Ski resorts have been forced to rely heavily on artificial snow, which skiers say is not the same as natural powder. Snowpack in Colorado and Oregon is the lowest it has been since the 1980s.

  • From Dec. 1 last year to Jan. 15, temperatures were up to 15 degrees above normal in the Rockies, the Cascades and the Sierra Nevada.
  • Colorado is having its warmest winter since 1895.

The players

Presley Quon

A spokesperson for Mt. Bachelor, a ski resort near Bend, Oregon.

McKenzie Skiles

Director of the Snow Hydrology Research-to-Operations Laboratory at the University of Utah.

Michael Downey

Drought program coordinator for the state of Montana.

Kathryn Sorensen

Director of research for the Kyl Center for Water Policy at Arizona State University.

Colter Brown

The Ag director for Northern Ag Network, which broadcasts agricultural news on some 60 radio stations in rural areas.

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What they’re saying

“We are struggling with the lack of snow. It's been a really rough season for ski resorts.”

— Presley Quon, spokesperson for Mt. Bachelor (Instagram)

“You don't get powder days from man-made snow and that's hard, especially when you live in a state where the motto is 'The Greatest Snow on Earth'.”

— McKenzie Skiles, director of the Snow Hydrology Research-to-Operations Laboratory at the University of Utah (New York Times)

“Montana and western Wyoming are the only ones in decent shape. High up, above 6,000 feet, snowpack is great. At medium and low elevations, it's as bad as I have ever seen it.”

— Michael Downey, drought program coordinator for the state of Montana (New York Times)

“It's pretty bad and looks like runoff is going to be terrible.”

— Kathryn Sorensen, director of research for the Kyl Center for Water Policy at Arizona State University (New York Times)

“What snow does for winter wheat is insulate the ground and the seed. If temperatures drop without snow, the seed could die. If that happens, they have to buy seed and replant, and that would be expensive with today's commodities prices.”

— Colter Brown, Ag director for Northern Ag Network (New York Times)

What’s next

Scientists say the weather models suggest the pattern of less snow and more rain will continue, with the snow line creeping up to higher elevations. Water managers and ski resorts are closely watching snowpack levels and investing in cloud seeding to try to increase precipitation.

The takeaway

The extreme snow drought across the Western U.S. is the latest sign of the region's ongoing megadrought, with far-reaching impacts on the ski industry, water resources, and agriculture. The situation highlights the need for long-term solutions to adapt to a changing climate and ensure the sustainability of water supplies in the arid West.