The period of March through May 2026 ranked as the second warmest spring in records going back to 1895 for the contiguous U.S., according to NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI). Across the past 131 years, only 2012 had a warmer spring, said NCEI in its monthly analysis released on June 8. The nationwide average temperatures for both spring 2012 (56.17 degrees Fahrenheit) and 2026 (55.79°F) are both more than 1.5°F above any rivals in the 131-year database. Spring 2026 was the hottest on record for Arizona, Colorado, Texas, and New Mexico. … The March heat wave dissolved any hope of a respectable snow season for large parts of the western United States. … The lack of remaining Southwest snowpack means runoff will be limited this summer, only worsening the situation.

Other climate change and water news:

• Eos: Blog: Archetypes could accelerate agricultural adaptation to less snowpack
• KQED (San Francisco): Bay Area warm-up could bring 100-degree heat and high wildfire risk​