drought

The monthly National Interagency Fire Center outlooks are typically staid documents, providing just-the-facts analysis. But the latest is superlative-laden as it describes record-low snowpacks, record-early snow melt and record-high temperatures.

Arizona's water supply could face major cutbacks on the heels of an exceptionally hot, dry winter in the Rocky Mountains.

Cody Moser with the federal Colorado Basin River Forecast Center said in a monthly briefing Tuesday that just 1.4 million acre feet of Colorado River water is expected to reach Lake Powell through July. That's less than a quarter of what's considered normal.

State and federal land managers have implemented fire restrictions across the state after a mild winter and record breaking March temperatures.

In the arid Mountain West, rivers are under growing pressure — from climate change, drought and rising demand for water. But new research from New Mexico suggests some river ecosystems may be more resilient than they appear.

Estevan López, New Mexico's water negotiator, said talks resumed March 2, and the upper and lower basin states are using a short-term pitch from Nevada as a starting point.

Salt lakes in the American West are shrinking — from Utah’s Great Salt Lake to smaller lakes scattered across the Great Basin. In her new book “Salt Lakes: An Unnatural History,” writer Caroline Tracey explores why these unusual landscapes matter, and what their decline reveals about humans’ impact on the environment.

The majority of the state is either abnormally dry, or in moderate or severe drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.

Cross-country ski areas are doing their best to adapt, but they lack the same tools available in the far bigger downhill skiing industry.

Some cities are predicted to near 100 degrees.