Much of the western U.S. has started 2026 in the midst of a snow drought. That might sound surprising, given the record precipitation from atmospheric rivers hitting the region in recent weeks, but those storms were actually part of the problem. … A region can be in a snow drought during times of normal or even above-normal precipitation if temperatures are warm enough that precipitation falls as rain when snow would normally be expected. This form of snow drought – known as a warm snow drought – is becoming more prevalent as the climate warms, and it’s what parts of the West have been seeing so far this winter.

Other snow drought news across the West:

• FOX13 (Salt Lake City, Utah): Why the rain might not solve Utah’s water problems this season
• The Washington Post: Where’s the snow? For these places, there hasn’t been much this season.
• Colorado Public Radio: An ice park without ice: How is the outdoor recreation industry grappling with an unseasonably warm winter?
• Sierra Nevada Ally (Reno, Nev.): Podcast: Where’s the mountain snow we all love?
• The Center Square: Video: Ecology says record rainfall, heavy mountain snow may not prevent drought