… Data provided by the US Department of Agriculture show that as of February 12, snowpack was at less than half its normal level in areas across nine Western states—some of the lowest levels seen in decades. It’s common for a particular basin or small area of the West to have low snowpack at this time of year. What’s worrisome, [UC ANR scientist Daniel] Swain says, is how widespread the snow drought is, stretching in a swath from the bottom of Washington to much of Arizona and New Mexico, and touching as far east as Colorado. … Much of the water supply for the West, including the crucial Colorado River Basin, is set during the winter. Snowpack that accumulates in the cold months melts in the spring; in years with healthy snowpack levels, that water makes its way into streams and reservoirs. Current conditions pose a threat to this dynamic.

Other snowpack news around the West:

• The Weather Channel: California storm with feet of Sierra snow, locally flooding rain continues through Thursday
• The Arizona Republic (Phoenix): Too little snow, too much rain has put the West in a ’snow drought’
• Record Searchlight (Redding, Calif.): Early Scott River snow survey shows low snowpack, but it can change
• KSL (Salt Lake City, Utah): Utah could experience active storm pattern. What does it need for a normal snowpack?
• Utah State University: Blog: Deciphering the numbers for Utah’s record-breaking snow drought winter