2026’s historic snow drought brings worries about water, wildfires and the future in the West

Western U.S. river basins are experiencing a historic snow drought in 2026, with only five of approximately 70 basins at or above the 1991-2020 median snow water equivalent as of late March. Of the 70 basins, 11 have less than 25 percent of normal snow reserves, including critical headwaters of the Colorado, Columbia, and Missouri rivers. High temperatures since October caused precipitation to fall as rain instead of snow, while December was exceptionally warm and January was both warm and dry, creating what hydrologists call a "triple whammy." Water managers in Wyoming and Washington have already announced that some water rights holders—cities, irrigation districts, farms, and industries—will receive less than their full water allotment in 2026, and other Western states are expected to follow. Fire officials and water supply managers are preparing for summer concerns about drought and wildfire risk across the region.