Utah’s 2026 water year is only in its third month, but the first two have already provided “a bit of whiplash” between record-breaking precipitation and record-breaking warmth, federal snowpack experts say. It’s why they say Utah’s snowpack has gotten off to a “slow start,” ending up just 46% of normal by the end of November. “Things started very strong. … Then our weather turned hot and dry,” wrote Jordan Clayton, a hydrologist for the Natural Resources Conservation Service and supervisor of the Utah Snow Survey, in its first water report update of the new water year. Last month was Utah’s warmest November since at least 1895, according to federal climate data released this week. 

Other snowpack news around the West:

• The Denver Post (Colo.): Colorado’s snow season is having an abnormally warm and dry start — boding poorly for snowpack
• KOAA (Pueblo, Colo.): Colorado’s snowpack improves significantly following weekend winter storm
• High Country News (Paonia, Colo.): Opinion: ​Skimpy snow makes life worse for skiers — and everyone else