Snowpack hits record lows in parts of the Western U.S.
Last weekend’s winter storm may have covered much of the country in a glut of snow and ice, but the season has not delivered out West, where several states face a snowpack drought. … Given those conditions, scientists are growing concerned about the water supply and a risk of wildfires later in the year. Because the mountain snowpack in Western states runs off as water throughout spring and summer, the levels influence how much water farmers can use to irrigate crops, how risky the wildfire season will be, and how much electricity hydropower dams can generate.
Other snowpack and weather news around the West:
- KCRA (Sacramento, Calif.): The latest NorCal rain, snow totals and where the snowpack stands as January comes to a close
- CBS Colorado: Colorado’s snowpack reaches 16th consecutive day at all-time low
- Denver Gazette (Colo.): Will Colorado’s snowpack be stuck at record lows by late-February? Here’s a look at what to expect
- Summit Daily (Frisco, Colo.): Final January storm will bring light flakes to Colorado’s mountains, but that won’t do much for the state’s record-low snowpack
- KSJD (Cortez, Colo.): Snowpack improves after storm, but Upper Colorado Basin still below average
- San Francisco Chronicle: New rules change how La Niña and El Niño are classified. Here’s what that means
