… In many areas, all-important snowfall has been half of normal, with even hotter, drier temperatures expected in the coming months. Much of the nation is in a drought already, but the headwaters of the Colorado River is among the driest places, along with south Texas and all of Florida. Alarmed civic officials across the West have already begun ordering restrictions on watering lawns, cleaning cars and even whether restaurant patrons get served glasses of water. … Climate experts have long warned that climate change will make the West hotter and drier, and worry that what’s happening now represents a long-term shift that could reshape how people live and work across Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, Utah, New Mexico and Wyoming. 

Other snowpack and drought news:

• The Business Journal (Fresno, Calif.): Kings River snowpack at 43% of average as early melt raises water supply concerns
• Sky-Hi News (Granby, Colo.): Colorado’s snowpack takes ‘massive nosedive’ amid a ‘record-smashing’ heatwave
• KLAS (Las Vegas): Colorado River outlook bleak as heat wave pushes snowpack into record-low territory
• CBS Colorado: Denver asks restaurants to only serve water by request amid drought conditions
• University of Nevada, Reno: Blog: Heat wave breaks March monthly high temperature records in Nevada
• Union of Concerned Scientists: Blog: Heated Rivalry: Snowpack vs. climate change. Guess who wins.