A historic shortage of snow, coupled with exceptionally warm winter temperatures, is sweeping across much of the western United States. This unusual weather is straining future water resources, increasing wildfire risks, and negatively affecting winter tourism and recreational industries.

Experts report that both the extent and depth of snow are at historic lows. At least 67 weather stations in the region have recorded their warmest December through early February ever. Normally, this period features about 460,000 square miles of snow cover—an area comparable to California, Montana, Utah, and Idaho combined. This time, snow has only covered an area the size of California, around 155,000 square miles, according to the National Snow and Ice Data Center.

“This is unlike any winter I’ve seen,” said Mark Serreze, the center’s director who has lived in Colorado for nearly four decades. “The climate pattern is incredibly persistent.”

In Oregon, the snowpack’s water content is not only at a record low, but sits approximately 30% below the prior lowest level on record, shared Jason Gerlich, a drought monitoring expert with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

While much of the eastern U.S. is coping with heavy snowfall and bitter cold, areas like West Jordan, Utah, near Salt Lake City, are experiencing spring-like weather. Trevor Stephens, a local resident, shared his frustration while wearing shorts and a T-shirt: “There’s no snow anywhere. I’d rather deal with icy roads than this dry spell.”

Water Supply and Fire Hazards on the Rise

In Denver’s Washington Park on Friday, February 6, 2026, a couple walked by a lake surrounded by mountains without snow, signaling just how deep the drought is becoming.

Ski resorts, already enduring tough financial conditions, are feeling the squeeze as snow continues to be elusive. Widespread concern is growing about the broader consequences of this snow shortage.

Oregon, Colorado, and Utah are all reporting their lowest snowpack depths since the early 1980s, when records began. A very dry January left most states with only half—or even less—of their normal precipitation. Combined with abundant sunshine and significantly warmer temperatures, the conditions have prevented the usual snow accumulation, especially in the Pacific Northwest and Northern Rockies. California fared slightly better due to significant rains in December, experts said.

As of Monday, it had been 327 days since Salt Lake City International Airport recorded a single inch of snowfall, the longest such dry streak since 1890-91, reports the National Weather Service.

Parts of Colorado and Utah are in the epicenter of this drought within the Upper Colorado River Basin, Gerlich noted.

Typically, snow builds up in the mountains through winter, slowly melting through spring and ensuring consistent water flow into rivers and reservoirs. This cycle supports everything from agriculture to energy to daily water use in cities.

The current lack—or early melt—of snow threatens to cut down on essential water supplies for rivers like the Colorado later this year.

“It’s a significant issue for the Colorado River basin,” said Daniel Swain of the University of California's Water Resources Institute.

Experts also warned of the heightened risk of wildfires starting early this year. Without snow to shield the soil, warmer spring and summer weather will dry out the land and plant life more quickly. “This accelerates the fire timeline,” explained Daniel McEvoy of the Western Regional Climate Center.

Too Hot for Snowfall

With daytime temperatures in the 60s, a cyclist enjoyed a ride through Washington Park in Denver on Friday, February 6, 2026—another sign of the unusual winter warmth.

Though some of the snow shortfall is due to dryness, the main factor is the excessive heat, widely linked by scientists to climate change resulting from fossil fuel use. Since December 1, over 8,500 daily high-temperature records have been broken or matched in the western states, according to NOAA.

As a result, much of the precipitation meant to fall as snow is dropping as rain instead, which flows away more quickly. Swain and other scientists underline that this has long been a predicted outcome of a warming climate.

Snowless events can happen, but what stands out this year is the intensity of the heat. “It was so warm in December, snow only fell on the mountain peaks,” said McEvoy. “Then January brought little precipitation and continued warmth, which just compounded the problem.”

Forecast: Cooler and Wetter Conditions on the Horizon

In Sheridan, Colorado, on February 6, 2026, a group of Canada geese gathered on a small patch of melting, snow-covered ground in a parking lot, showing just how sporadic snow coverage is right now.

Weather experts anticipate a brief spell of wetter and cooler weather across the West this week, possibly bringing some late snowfall. However, many areas will still experience above-average temperatures, and scientists remain skeptical that precipitation levels will rebound significantly.

“Even with this weather shift, I don’t expect we’ll return to normal snowpack levels,” said Schumacher. “But at the very least, it could help reduce some of the deficit.”

The Associated Press independently produced this article as part of its environmental reporting efforts.