Snowpack Season Was Lack-Luster: USDA Meteorologist says drought trends won’t end anytime soon

“We’ve seen near-record dryness. Very little, if any, snow on the ground...”

With spring just around the corner, snowpack season will soon be ending. Out west, this year’s accumulations have been rather lack-luster.

According to Brad Rippey, “We’ve effectively had one storm that occurred back during earlier in February across the southwest. Beyond that, it has just been drips and drabs from time to time. We’ve seen near-record dryness. Very little, if any, snow on the ground— that is leading to significant spring and summer water supply in areas that depend on runoff from snowpack. That, unfortunately, incorporates significant portions of the Colorado River Basin, which has been trying to claw its way out of long-term drought the last two winters.”

Rippey says that unfortunately, it does not look like these drought trends will end anytime soon.

Related Stories
Farmer John Jenkinson shares the latest on planting conditions in Kansas and what producers are facing this season.
Farm CPA Paul Neiffer joined us to break down the application process for Stages 1 and 2 of the USDA’s Supplemental Disaster Relief Program, and what farmers can expect as the deadline approaches.
UNL’s Dr. Dirac Twidwell discusses wildfire recovery efforts in Nebraska and what producers should keep in mind in the days and weeks ahead.
Farmer Jeffry Mitchell with the Mississippi Farm Bureau joins us for a spring planting update from the southeast region as drought, input costs, and fertilizer access complicate crop progress.
Spring Fieldwork Progress Mixed As Moisture Slows Activity
Leadership closer to western forests may speed decisions impacting timber, land use, and wildfire management.