Let It Snow !!! Puhlease

Across much of the United States this winter, the weather has been unusually warm and dry, creating a stark contrast between record snowfall in parts of the East and a deep snow drought in the West. This has left famous mountain destinations — including Park City, Utah — with far less snow than normal, affecting winter recreation and raising concerns about water supplies.

In the West, many areas that typically enjoy deep snowpacks instead have bare ground or only a few inches of snow rather than the usual feet. The lack of snow has kept skiers, snowboarders, and snowmobilers off the mountains and trails, and instead people are hiking and biking in temperatures often reaching the 50s and 60s. Across the region, the amount of snow-covered ground is at a record low.

Snowpack is critical in the arid West because it acts as natural water storage: it melts slowly in spring and early summer, supplying rivers, reservoirs, farmland, and cities with water. In Utah, this is especially important — about 95 % of the state’s water supply comes from snowpack.

The dramatic decline in snowpack coincides with the long-running megadrought in the Colorado River basin, which includes parts of Utah and other Western states. Snowpack there feeds the Colorado River, a crucial water source for about 40 million people across the U.S. and Mexico, as well as farms and ecosystems. Prolonged low snowpack and drought have contributed to record-low reservoir levels in Lake Powell and Lake Mead, intensifying negotiations over future river management.

Scientists note this winter’s conditions aren’t easily pinned entirely on climate change, but the patterns are consistent with what climate models project: warmer temperatures and more precipitation falling as rain rather than snow. Higher snowlines — the elevation above which precipitation falls as snow — mean less snow accumulation and more rapid melting.

In Utah, the below-average snowpack is already causing concern. Snow measurements early in 2026 showed many snowpack sites — including near Park City and other watersheds — were far below median levels, with some basins showing nearly 50 % below normal snowpack. These conditions come after a warmer-than-usual period and follow similar low-snow years. While recent storms have helped slightly in spots, Utah’s overall snowpack continues to lag typical levels.

The low snowpack has impacts beyond skiing. Utah’s reservoirs — such as Strawberry, Jordanelle, and Deer Creek— currently hold above-average storage, which provides some buffer against dry conditions, but reservoir refill depends on snowmelt runoff in spring.

Even in years when snowpack is not far below average, Utah often faces drought; the state has seen drought conditions in most years over the past few decades, and with a rapidly growing population, water resource pressures are increasing. Because so much of Utah’s water comes from snow, continued low snowpack could mean lower streamflows, tighter irrigation water supplies, greater reliance on stored reservoir water, and challenges for agriculture and ecosystems moving into the warmer months.