Utah natural resources officials say they met with local leaders and water providers across the state this week to help them prepare for what’s expected during what is normally the state’s driest season, after determining that this year’s peak snowpack runoff has officially passed. Peak runoff typically begins about this time in the season; however, the Utah Division of Water Resources reported Thursday that it has “already come and gone” with statewide stream flow anticipated to be half of the state’s median average. The current statewide snowpack is the same as the median average for late May toward the end of the normal runoff. That means the state’s reservoirs aren’t expected to gain much, if anything, for the rest of this year.

Other snow drought news around the West:

• The Washington Post: This state is betting on cloud-seeding drones to solve its water problem
• The Colorado Sun (Denver): Colorado farmers tighten their belts ahead of summer drought
• Post Independent (Glenwood Springs, Colo.): Colorado rafting companies head into an ‘unprecedented’ season, with most streamflow projections half of normal
• Townlife (Park City, Utah): State warns of ‘uncharted territory’ as Utah water officials brace for driest summer on record
• NASA: Blog: Snow is scarce in the Upper Colorado Basin