Rapid melts across the U.S. West have caused snowpack to disappear up to four weeks early in some areas — wreaking potential havoc on the region’s water supply, federal meteorologists warned Thursday. These conditions have particularly affected parts of Utah, Colorado and New Mexico, causing some basins to shift from above-average snowpack to “snow drought,” according to an update from the National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS). That transition occurred in under a month, with snow disappearing one to four weeks earlier than usual, the NIDIS updated stated. … As for the Colorado River Basin, the NIDIS update said that supply forecasts for this region declined in comparison to April 1 projections, presumably due to dry conditions and early, rapid snowmelt.

Other snowmelt news:

• The Denver Post: Despite snowpack concerns, Colorado rafting industry expects plenty of water to ride
• NIDIS: News release: Snow drought current conditions and impacts in the West
• NIDIS: Blog: Snowpack data inform decisions across the Pacific Northwest