Record-Low Snowpack Across West Raises Water and Fire Concerns

PORTLAND, Ore. (Feb. 5, 2026) — A dry and unusually warm January has left much of the western United States with its weakest snowpack in decades, according to new data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Integrated Drought Information System (NOAA NIDIS).

Snow cover across the West on Feb. 1 totaled just 139,322 square miles — the lowest for that date since NASA’s MODIS satellite record began in 2001, NOAA NIDIS reported. Several states, including Oregon, Colorado and Utah, recorded their lowest statewide snowpack levels on record, based on data from the federal SNOTEL monitoring network, which tracks snow conditions back to the early 1980s.

The shortfalls are most pronounced in critical water supply basins such as Oregon’s Deschutes, Nevada’s Humboldt, Washington’s Yakima, the Rio Grande Basin in the Southwest and the Upper Colorado River Basin. These areas are experiencing “snow drought,” a condition in which precipitation falls as rain instead of snow or fails to arrive at all, NOAA scientists said.

Most Western states received 50% or less of normal precipitation in January, a month that historically delivers some of the most important snow accumulation for the Pacific Northwest and Northern Rockies. Above-normal temperatures and persistent sunshine further reduced snow buildup and led to melting in some lower-elevation areas.

Warm conditions have created a sharp elevation divide, with snow remaining mainly at higher elevations while lower elevations have little or no snowpack. NOAA NIDIS said the lack of snow cover could accelerate spring drying, increase wildfire risk and reduce runoff efficiency as snow melts.

Forecasters expect a pattern shift over the next two weeks, with wetter-than-normal conditions favored across much of the West. However, warmer-than-normal temperatures are also likely to persist in many areas, potentially limiting snowfall and slowing snowpack recovery.

Snowpack serves as a critical water source for Western communities, ecosystems and industries. NOAA NIDIS said the deficits are already affecting winter recreation and raising concerns for agriculture, hydropower generation and municipal water supplies.

Peak median snow water equivalent — the point at which snowpack typically holds its most water — usually occurs in March and April. NOAA NIDIS warned that while substantial snowfall in the coming months could reduce impacts, current deficits will be difficult to overcome.