The West Is Running Dry: Historic Snow Drought Triggers Water Restrictions Across Multiple States

A Winter Without Snow

Across much of the Western United States, the 2025–26 winter produced what hydrologists are calling a historically anomalous snow drought. Temperatures that would normally generate mountain snowpack instead delivered rain, slush, or nothing at all. Ski resorts closed early. Reservoir inflows stalled. And now, as April approaches — the traditional peak of snowpack accumulation — water managers are staring at numbers they have rarely, if ever, seen.

Data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation Service shows that out of approximately 70 river basins tracked across the Western United States, only five are at or above the 1991–2020 median snow water equivalent for this point in the season. Nearly all of those outliers are clustered around the Yellowstone region of western Wyoming and eastern Idaho. Eleven basins have less than 25% of median snowpack. More than half are below 50%.

The headwaters of three of the West's most critical rivers — the Colorado, the Columbia, and the Missouri — are all significantly below historical averages, according to USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service data published March 23, 2026.

Brad Udall, a senior climate scientist at Colorado State University's Colorado Water Center who has studied the West's water resources for more than two decades, described the situation in stark terms to USA Today: "It's really grim. It's horrific. The impacts are going to be everywhere, throughout the economy and personally. You will feel this personally as it happens."

Udall said 2026 may go down as the worst year for Colorado River flows in recorded history.

How It Happened: A Triple Whammy

Writing in The Conversation, hydrologist and water policy expert Sarah Null of Utah State University explained the mechanics of the crisis. The West got hit with what she called a "triple whammy": two of the three critical snow-accumulation months — December and February — were too warm for snow at most elevations, and January was both warmer than historical average and far below average in precipitation.

December brought strong storms, but temperatures were high enough that precipitation fell as rain rather than snow, even flooding parts of Washington State. January offered milder temperatures but dramatically reduced precipitation. February temperatures were much warmer than normal even as precipitation approached historical averages. The net effect: almost no snowpack accumulation.

Data from the National Snow and Ice Data Center shows that total snow cover area across the Western U.S. has been exceptionally low compared to the average for 2001–2025.

NOAA's National Integrated Drought Information System's recent assessment confirmed that 2026 will be a "tight year for water supplies," with drought conditions covering much of the western half of the country. Among the driest areas: the headwaters of the Colorado River, south Texas, and all of Florida.

Denver Rations Water for First Time Since 2013

On March 25, 2026, the Denver Board of Water Commissioners enacted Stage 1 drought restrictions across its metro service area — the first such restrictions since 2013.

Under the restrictions, residents are limited to outdoor watering twice per week, on a schedule based on their address. Restaurants are required to serve water only when customers request it. Denver Water spokesperson Travis Thompson told the Denver Post that customers should not activate irrigation systems until mid-May.

"Current conditions indicate that this is going to be an exceptionally challenging year for our water supply," said Nathan Elder, Denver Water's manager of water supply. "The recent heat wave has exacerbated an already poor situation from a water manager standpoint."

Board President Tyrone Gant said at the March 25 meeting: "We're dealing with conditions we've never seen before."

Denver Water staff plans to return to the board on April 8 to recommend higher drought pricing. The stated goal of Stage 1 restrictions is to reduce average customer usage by 20%.

Elder told the Denver Post that the Colorado River basin's snowpack stands at 53% of normal — the lowest coverage on record for this date. He said there is a low probability that reservoirs will fill up this year.

Lake Dillon, Lake Powell, and the Cascade of Consequences

Lake Dillon, a key drinking water source for millions of Colorado residents, sat at less than 60% of capacity as of late March, according to USA Today reporting. Under normal spring conditions, snowmelt would be actively refilling the reservoir. Instead, docks sat stuck in mud.

At Lake Powell — the Colorado River reservoir straddling the Arizona-Utah line and a linchpin of hydroelectric power and downstream water supply — workers are already preparing to relocate the entire floating Bullfrog Marina across the shrinking lake to an area where water will remain deeper. Water managers have warned that Lake Powell could drop to its lowest recorded level since the reservoir began filling in the 1960s.

Udall told USA Today that the early ski area closures are likely a preview of a cascade to come: ranchers selling off cattle, and skies darkening with wildfire smoke as dry vegetation burns through summer and fall.

Restrictions Spreading: Salt Lake City, Colorado Communities, and Beyond

Denver is not alone. Civic officials across the West have already begun implementing water restrictions affecting lawn watering, car washing, and even whether restaurant patrons are automatically served a glass of water.

In Salt Lake City, Mayor Erin Mendenhall issued restrictions on new large water users. In a statement, Mendenhall said: "New large water users are particularly problematic due to Salt Lake City's worsening drought conditions and water conservation needs, which we are already taking action to address."

The U.S. Drought Monitor, which is produced jointly by the National Drought Mitigation Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, the USDA, and NOAA, showed as of late March that much of the Western U.S. was already in moderate to extreme drought conditions, with pockets of exceptional drought.

In Illinois, the city of Sullivan has extended a water emergency through June, restricting use to essentials only, according to drought.gov's Midwest Drought Status Update published March 26, 2026. Local wells in parts of Ohio and Missouri are also running low.

Economic Stakes

The implications extend well beyond lawn watering schedules. The Colorado River system serves tens of millions of people across Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, Utah, New Mexico, and Wyoming. Based on historical precedent, a major water shortage in the West typically sends food prices higher as crops fail or livestock are sold off early. It also imperils tens of thousands of businesses dependent on industrial water use.

Ski areas that closed early this season represent a concrete early casualty. Resort industry analysts have not yet released aggregate revenue loss estimates for the 2026 season.

Meanwhile, climate scientists caution that this year may not be a one-time anomaly. Udall and others have warned for more than two decades that climate change is making the West structurally hotter and drier, and that the 2026 snow drought may represent a long-term shift in what water availability looks like across the American West.