In WWA's recent webinar, WWA research scientists Seth Arens and Nels Bjarke provide an update on the 2025-2026 Intermountain West snow drought, followed by an overview of the Western Drought Perspective Tool and the research supporting it. Watch here: wwa.colorado.edu/outreach/eve... #snowdrought

June 1 regional seasonal #streamflow volume forecasts were less than 50% of average for all river basins except the Wind (93%), Shoshone (87%), Yellowstone (80%), Snake (73%), and Bighorn (61%) River Basins. Learn more: wwa.colorado.edu/resources/in... @cires.colorado.edu

“I think Front Range cities will be asked, whether nicely or not, to reduce their Colorado River diversions,” said Jeff Lukas, a water consultant and former @wwanews.bsky.social and CIRES scientist. sentinelcolorado.com/metro/colora...

NEW — @wwanews.bsky.social's report on the 2025-2026 Extreme Snow Drought in the Intermountain West provides information about likely causes of the snow drought, early impacts from record low regional snow-water equivalent, and more! wwa.colorado.edu/resources/ha...

WWA's latest rapid assessment is on the 2025-2026 extreme #snowdrought in CO, UT, and WY. The assessment covers the magnitude of extreme low snow-water equivalent (SWE) conditions in early 2026, likely causes of the snow drought, and more. wwa.colorado.edu/resources/ha... @cires.colorado.edu

In Colorado, seasonal #streamflow volume forecasts suggest 20-40% of average runoff for all major river basins. In Utah, forecasts suggest 10-40% of average runoff for all major river basins. In Wyoming, forecasts were more variable. Learn more: wwa.colorado.edu/resources/in... @cires.colorado.edu

“Ultimately, it's going to take relatively, perhaps even draconian cuts in water (use)... unless there's some major change in how we think about the system operating,” said Seth Arens, a hydrologist at the @wwanews.bsky.social on Aspen Public Radio. www.aspenpublicradio.org/environment/...

Ash and sediment from #wildfires can contaminate Colorado's long-term reservoir storage. "Not just for one year or two years, but sometimes for up to eight years," said Ben Livneh, CIRES fellow and @wwanews.bsky.social director, on Denver7 News. www.denver7.com/news/environ...

Winter never came to Colorado. Ben Linveh, @cuengineering.bsky.social associate professor and director of @wwanews.bsky.social at @cires.colorado.edu explains the "perfect storm" overlap of climate change and natural climate swings. Learn how you can help our water supply ↓ https://bit.ly/4dIFa4P

“The notion that a wet April, May, June, might save us is quickly leaving the building,” said Nels Bjarke, a research scientist with @wwanews.bsky.social and CIRES. www.kjzz.org/science/2026...

The #heatwave during March 2026 was unprecedented in the western U.S. temperature records since 1895. March 2026 average temperatures shattered records in Colorado (by 4.3ºF), Utah (by 5.5ºF), and Wyoming (by 2ºF). Learn more: wwa.colorado.edu/resources/in... @cires.colorado.edu

“It’s going to be a seriously dry summer ahead" — Nels Bjarke, a research scientist with @wwanews.bsky.social and CIRES. www.nytimes.com/2026/04/08/c...

Winter never came to Colorado. What does it mean for water supplies? WWA Director Ben Livneh speaks about how warm and dry this winter was, the cause of this snow drought, and more. www.colorado.edu/today/2026/0... #snowdrought @cires.colorado.edu

Colorado and Wyoming experienced the warmest February on record, and Utah experienced the third warmest February on record. All three states experienced the warmest meteorological winter (December-February) on record. Learn more: wwa.colorado.edu/resources/in... @cires.colorado.edu #temp #wx

KUNR interviewed @wwanews.bsky.social's Seth Arens about Western Water Assessments 2025 Hazards Summary. “It ended up being a very low year for Colorado River stream flow. It was somewhere around 50% of average during 2025." www.kunr.org/local-storie...

Western Water Assessment has produced a 2025 hazard summary for the Intermountain West—Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming. Read the report here: wwa.colorado.edu/resources/ha... @cires.colorado.edu #drought #wildfire #flood #hail #tornado #highwind

"We've seen a trend in the last several years—five, eight years—of stream flow forecasts consistently getting worse throughout the late winter, and even into runoff period," said Seth Arens, a scientist at @wwanews.bsky.social & CIRES. www.aspenpublicradio.org/environment/...

Regional #snowpack and #streamflow volume forecasts are extremely low. Record-low statewide snowpack conditions exist in Colorado and Utah, while Wyoming statewide SWE is 84% of average. Learn more: wwa.colorado.edu/resources/in... #wx #weather @cires.colorado.edu

The entire region experienced much above average (top 10%) to record-warm #temperatures in December. For weather monitoring sites with at least 50 years of data, 50 of 60 sites in Utah had a record-warm December, 31 of 75 sites had records in Colorado, and 34 of 46 sites had records in Wyoming. #wx

Lander, Wyoming, is the latest community to benefit from @ciresnews.bsky.social and @wwanews.bsky.social programs to build flood resilience. The team gathered key community stakeholders and led thoughtful discussions to diagram what they would do in a disaster.

High temperatures coupled with mostly below normal precipitation caused low snow-water equivalent (SWE) and worsening drought conditions in November. Learn more: wwa.colorado.edu/resources/in... @cires.colorado.edu #wx #weather #snowpack #drought

Large areas of the region received 150-200% of normal #precipitation in October, with some locations in northern Utah, southeastern Utah, northern Wyoming, and southwestern Colorado receiving 200-400% of normal precipitation. Learn more: wwa.colorado.edu/resources/in... @cires.colorado.edu

Rapid assessment led by CIRES researchers dives deep into Pagosa Springs' third-largest flood on record. The report compiled by Western Water Assessment includes scientific and historical context to help decision makers and emergency responders buff.ly/7pBWXlz

#Drought conditions improved during September in Colorado and Wyoming, while all of Utah continues to remain in at least moderate (D1) drought. By Sept 30, regional drought coverage was 61%, a 6% improvement since the end of August. Learn more: wwa.colorado.edu/resources/in... @cires.colorado.edu

“Whenever an organization like WWA brings communities into this discussion, you can see a lot of cascading benefits from that,” says sustainability consultant Gwen Garcelon, speaking about the #drought resilience workshop that WWA held in Carbondale in 2018. Learn more: wwa.colorado.edu/impacts

Monthly #streamflow conditions were below to much below normal across large parts of the region during August. Most river basins in Colorado and Utah experienced these conditions, with record-low monthly streamflow observed in the Piedra River and at four streamflow gauges on the White River.

Regional #drought conditions expanded and worsened, especially near the Colorado-Utah border and western Wyoming, where extreme (D3) drought conditions now cover 23% of the region. Learn more: wwa.colorado.edu/resources/in... @cires.colorado.edu

Are you an undergrad student @colorado.edu interested in water? Apply by 9/8 for the Colorado Water Fellows Program, hosted by WWA! The program prepares students for careers in the water field and connects them to opportunities, including conferences. Apply here: forms.gle/4DdZdFkufmon...

In 2018, WWA worked closely with community members and leaders in Carbondale, Colorado to plan a workshop that helped local leaders assess risks from drought and develop strategies to build resilience to drought impacts in their community. Learn more: youtu.be/4o4Z-DGvuoE?... @cires.colorado.edu

In July, regional precipitation was generally below normal, with record-dry conditions throughout much of the region. As of August 1, Colorado reservoirs are 63% full, Utah reservoirs are 75% full, and Wyoming reservoirs are 72% full. Learn more: wwa.colorado.edu/resources/in... @cires.colorado.edu

WWA's Nels Bjarke spoke with Rocky Mountain Community Radio about current drought conditions and said hotter temperatures "can lead to further drying of the soils ... [and] have the potential to allow the drought to at least stick around, and potentially amplify it." Learn more ⬇️

During June, much of the region experienced above average temperatures and below average precipitation. As of July 1, seasonal snowmelt was completed with many mountain locations melting out 1-2 weeks earlier than average. Seasonal streamflow volume forecasts remained below to much below normal.

ICYMI: Years after wildfires burn forests and watersheds, the contaminants left behind continue to poison rivers and streams across the Western U.S. — much longer than scientists estimated. Work led by CIRES, @wwanews.bsky.social‬, and @colorado.edu scientists. Read the story: buff.ly/Uy6QkNd

Our team ☺️ wwa.colorado.edu/about/team

New research, led by CIRES, @wwanews.bsky.social, and @colorado.edu, featured in Grist! ⬇️

New CIRES-led research: Years after wildfires burn forests and watersheds, the contaminants left behind continue to poison rivers and streams across the Western U.S. — much longer than scientists estimated. @wwanews.bsky.social‬ @colorado.edu Read the story: cires.colorado.edu/news/wildfir...

As of June 1, statewide percent median SWE was 54% in Colorado, 29% in Utah, and 62% in Wyoming. Seasonal streamflow volume forecasts are all below to much below average for the region. Regional drought coverage in late May was 53%. Learn more: wwa.colorado.edu/resources/in...

"Looking at things like how drought is changing, it's getting bigger, it's getting drier, it's coming on more quickly, trying to understand how we can better predict that..." said Benét Duncan, managing director of @wwanews.bsky.social‬ at CIRES. www.pbs.org/newshour/sho...

In April, regional precipitation was below to much below normal with some areas experiencing record-dry conditions. As of May 1, statewide percent median SWE was 58% in Colorado, 66% in Utah, and 86% in Wyoming. Learn more: wwa.colorado.edu/resources/in...

The 2025 edition of CIRES' Spheres Magazine is out! In 2024 and 2025, CIRES scientists and their colleagues worked on Western US fires, greenhouse gases, seasonal allergies, the Colorado River, ice sheets, field safety, and more. Explore now ➡️ cires.colorado.edu/spheres-maga...

End of April #snow water equivalent (SWE) is below to much below normal for the majority of the region (CO, UT, WY), with less than 50% of median conditions in southern Colorado, southern and western Utah, and northeastern Wyoming. wwa.colorado.edu/resources/in...

WWA's Katie Clifford spent time last week with CLIMAS collaborators Christina Greene and Becky Patterson-Markowitz to kick off their project examining the long-term wildfire recovery challenges in rural communities in Colorado, New Mexico, and Arizona. wwa.colorado.edu/research/pro...

Happy #EarthDay! CIRES scientists study a wide range of Earth system science topics, including weather and climate, changes at Earth’s poles, atmospheric chemistry, water resources, and solid Earth sciences. Learn more about our research: cires.colorado.edu/research

On May 10, join @ciresceee.bsky.social's We are Water program for the NSF STEM Day Community Celebration in Durango, CO! wearewater.colorado.edu/events Exhibit opening day celebration 🕙: 10 am - 3 pm 📍: The Powerhouse Film festival and Q&A 🕕: 6 - 8 pm 📍: Fort Lewis College, Noble Hall Rm 130

Mid-April #snow water equivalent (SWE) is below to much below normal for the majority of the region (CO, UT, WY), with less than 50% of median conditions in southern Utah, southwestern Colorado, and northeastern Wyoming. wwa.colorado.edu/resources/in...

April 1 seasonal (April-July) #streamflow volume forecasts were near-to-below average across the region. Seasonal streamflow is forecasted at 67% of average for Lake Powell. Learn more: wwa.colorado.edu/resources/in...

ICYMI: 4 undergraduate students from a range of disciplines participated in the inaugural CU Boulder Water Fellows program. Hosted by @wwanews.bsky.social, the program prepares the next generation of water leaders through training, networking, and mentorship. cires.colorado.edu/news/western...

Seasonal #streamflow volume forecasts are below to much below average for all Colorado and Great Basin rivers except the headwaters of the Colorado and Yampa Rivers. Learn more: wwa.colorado.edu/resources/in...

4 undergraduate students from a range of disciplines participated in the inaugural CU Boulder Water Fellows program. Hosted by @wwanews.bsky.social, the program prepares the next generation of water leaders through training, networking, and mentorship. Read more: cires.colorado.edu/news/western...

Watch our latest webinar, "SWE-Fusion: Multi-Source, Real-Time Snow Water Equivalent Data to Support Water Resource Management in the Western US," with speaker and WWA PI, Noah Molotch. ❄️ wwa.colorado.edu/outreach/eve...