snowpack

At less than 140,000 square miles, snow cover across the region was the lowest ever recorded on February 1 in the satellite record, which goes back to 2001. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS) call it the “worst snowpack on record.”

Cold temperatures have settled over much of the Mountain West this winter, but precipitation has been harder to come by, leaving large parts of the region unusually dry for late January.

At a key meeting to discuss the river's future management, federal officials lay out tools for dealing with falling reservoir levels.

New research shows that mountain regions around the world are warming faster than the lowlands below them. Scientists say that could have big consequences for the Mountain West, where communities rely on snow and ice for their water supply.

In addition to a lack of snow, warmer temperatures have thwarted snowmaking.

Federal forecasters are warning that the fire season could be very active across broad swaths of our region this July and August.

Utah is using a technology that can add more water to the state's supply. Others in the Colorado River basin are looking to expand.

Drought this spring has increased significantly across our region, with some states already hitting the highest levels.

A new study reveals snow in the Rocky Mountains is contaminated with mercury and other metals, and that pollution has historic causes.

Russ Scholl's "periodic table of snow" contains more than 100 different slang names for snow.