Forecasts of summertime moisture will be some welcome relief for farmers and ranchers in the Intermountain West, after undergoing a rugged, widespread drought and record snowpack drought over the past year. Although not a guarantee, there are promising signs for moisture in the Intermountain West region (Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Utah and Wyoming) thanks to the El Nino climate phenomenon combined with monsoon moisture expected this summer, which was detailed on the latest Intermountain West Drought Update Webinar, Tuesday, June 16, 2026, hosted by the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration’s National Integrated Drought Information System. Not only is moisture critical for forage for rangeland, pastures and drinking water for cattle, but also for the major lakes and rivers supplying water to the western states.

Other El Niño news:

• Rocky Mountain PBS: Could El Niño solve Colorado’s water woes?
• Inside Climate News: El Niño is here and will have ‘big consequences’ for global weather
• The Economist: Why this El Niño could make history
• The New York Times: Is climate change supercharging El Niño? A debate rages.
• Active NorCal (Redding, Calif.): A new scientific paper lays out 7 ways El Niño and the marine heat wave could hit West Coast fish and wildlife
• The Davis Enterprise: Column: Strong El Niño — wet weather ahead?