Intermountain West Dashboard
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The Intermountain West Dashboard provides situational awareness of weather, drought, and water resources for Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming.
Click the question mark icon above each graphic to see the description of that graphic.
Weekly or monthly summaries of evolving weather, drought, and water conditions for the Intermountain West are also available from these providers:
- Colorado CC/NIDIS Intermountain West Drought Status Briefings
- NOAA CBRFC Water Supply Briefings for the Colorado River Basin and Great Basin - monthly, January through May
- NRCS Water Supply Outlook Reports for Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming - monthly, January through May/June
Temperature, Precipitation and Snowpack
Drought Conditions
Current Streamflow, Forecasted Streamflow
Soil Moisture
Wildfire and Smoke
Reservoir Storage
Precipitation Forecast
Seasonal Climate Outlooks
Experimental Winter Precipitation Forecast
( This tool is out of date. A new version will be available soon. )
ENSO Conditions and Forecasts
Latest Briefing
August 11, 2026 - CO, UT, WY
July precipitation was above average across much of Utah, western Colorado and western Wyoming, while below average precipitation fell in eastern Wyoming and much of Colorado. Regional temperatures were above to much above average across the region, and all-time daily maximum temperatures were set across all three states. Drought conditions prevail with 97% of the region covered by drought, and extreme or exceptional drought covered 35-45% of Colorado, Utah and Wyoming. Seasonal NOAA forecasts suggest active monsoonal precipitation and an increased probability of above average precipitation for the next three months. Monsoonal thunderstorms were responsible for six fatalities in Utah during July; a family of five drowned in a flash flood near Bicknell, UT and a hiker was killed by lightning in the Wasatch Mountains near Salt Lake City.
July precipitation was near-to-above average in most of Utah, southwestern Colorado and western Wyoming. Monsoonal precipitation did not reach the eastern portion of the region, and below average precipitation fell in much of Colorado and eastern Wyoming. Tragically, monsoonal thunderstorms were responsible for six fatalities in Utah during July. Heavy rainfall also caused severe flooding and damage to 200 homes due to debris flows from the Cottonwood Fire burn scar near Beaver, Utah.
July temperatures were above average (+2-4ºF) for the entire region with much above average temperatures (+4-8ºF) across much of Wyoming, northern Colorado and northeastern Utah. All-time record high temperatures were set at many locations during July, including Provo (105ºF) and Salt Lake City (109ºF) in Utah, and Brighton (105ºF) and Burlington (113ºF) in Colorado. During a July 12-13 heatwave in Wyoming, 17 sites set all-time record high temperatures, including Worland (111ºF), Sheridan (109ºF), Thermopolis (109ºF), Cody (106ºF), Riverton (106ºF), Lander (102ºF), Moran (94ºF) and Yellowstone Lake (88ºF). All-time record high temperatures were also recorded in Laramie (94ºF) and Rock Springs (98°F) during July.
At the end of July, streamflow was below average for most regional rivers, especially in Colorado and Utah. On July 29, record low daily streamflow was recorded at 29 sites in Colorado, ten sites in Utah and four in Wyoming, including the Arkansas, Dolores, Eagle, Roaring Fork, South Platte, Uncompahgre and Yampa Rivers. Streamflow on the western slope of Colorado and along the Arkansas and South Platte Rivers was generally flowing at levels in the lowest 10% of all observations.
In late July, regional drought coverage remained at 97%. Drought covered the entire region except for a portion of northeastern Colorado where a small area of drought was removed during July. Coverage of exceptional drought conditions in the Colorado River Headwaters expanded in July.
El Niño conditions are present in the eastern Pacific Ocean with ocean temperatures running 1.5ºC above average. Current forecasts of peak Pacific Ocean temperatures of 2.5-3ºC above average indicate the formation of a very strong El Niño during the 2027 water year, an event that could be the strongest on record. There is a 100% probability of El Niño conditions continuing at least through December to February. NOAA seasonal forecasts indicate an increased probability of above average precipitation for the region during August to October, suggesting an active monsoon for the remainder of the season. Notably, the temperature forecast for August indicates equal chances of above or below average regional temperatures, but there is an increased probability for above average temperatures over the August to October period.
Significant weather event: Monsoonal thunderstorms lead to six fatalities in Utah. On July 17, an isolated thunderstorm near Bicknell, Utah caused flash flooding in a narrow canyon and swept a family of five to their deaths. The family from Provo, UT left for hiking and canyoneering in a slot canyon near Sunglow Campground around noon on 7/17. Sadly, bodies of all five family members were found deceased by the following morning. No precipitation from the storm was recorded at nearby weather stations in Loa, Torrey and Capitol Reef National Park.
On July 18, a 59-year-old man was killed by lightning while hiking in the Wasatch Mountains. The man and his brother were hiking along the exposed ridgeline of American Fork Twin Peaks near Snowbird Ski Area when the localized thunderstorm struck. The storm was very small, producing no rain at nearby sites and three lightning strikes were recorded in the vicinity during that hour.
The Cottonwood Fire burned 97,000 acres during June and July in the Tushar Mountains east of Beaver, Utah. On 7/20, nearly 1.6” of rain fell near Eagle Pointe Ski Area in upper portions of the Beaver River watershed. The ensuing debris flow flood severely damaged five miles of SR 153 which connects Beaver to Eagle Pointe ski area, damaged 80-200 homes and contaminated drinking water for Beaver and four rural communities. Residents from the Grove neighborhood in Beaver were evacuated and suffered the greatest residential home damage.
Flash flooding in Bicknell, Utah. Credit: Matthew Johnson/KSL News.
July 9, 2026 - CO, UT, WY
During June, much of the region experienced below average precipitation and above average temperatures. Snowpack melted out by June 4 in Utah, June 9 in Colorado, and June 19 in Wyoming. Regional streamflow conditions are below to much below average. As of July 1, Colorado reservoirs are 49% full, Utah reservoirs are 66% full, and Wyoming reservoirs are 65% full. Regional drought coverage remained the same at 97%. Pacific Ocean temperatures transitioned to El Niño conditions in June and are expected to persist through early spring 2027. NOAA seasonal forecasts suggest above average regional precipitation and temperatures during July through September.
June precipitation was below average for most of the region, with Utah, western Colorado, and western Wyoming receiving less than 50% of average precipitation. Pockets of less than 5% of average precipitation occurred in Tooele, Millard, Beaver, Duchesne, Emery, Grand, Garfield, and San Juan Counties in Utah, and in Mesa County, Colorado. A few pockets of above average precipitation occurred in eastern Colorado and northern Wyoming. Record-dry conditions occurred in Larimer, Grand, Park, Custer, Saguache, Huerfano, Pueblo, Lincoln, and Kiowa Counties in Colorado.
June temperatures were up to 3 °F above average in eastern Colorado, southern Wyoming, and northeastern Utah, while temperatures were up to 3 °F below average in northern and central Wyoming. Temperatures were 3-6 °F above average for much of Utah and western Colorado, with small pockets of these temperatures in eastern Colorado and western Wyoming. Record-warm temperatures occurred in southwestern Colorado and southeastern Utah.
Regional streamflow conditions are much below average, with extremely below average streamflow at many sites throughout the Upper Colorado River and Great Basins. Extremely below average streamflow conditions for these sites mean that streamflow is below the lowest daily average ever recorded for this day of the year (July 9).
As of July 1, Colorado reservoirs are 49% full and at 64% of median capacity, Utah reservoirs are 66% full and at 83% of median capacity, and Wyoming reservoirs are 65% full and at 77% of median capacity. Reservoirs at 50% or less capacity include McPhee (49%), Blue Mesa (35%), and Green Mountain (29%) in Colorado; Echo (50%) and Lake Powell (24%) in Utah; and Seminoe (37%) and Pathfinder (27%) in Wyoming.
Regional drought coverage remained the same during June and covered 97% of the region as of June 30. Drought conditions slightly deteriorated in Colorado, with severe (D2) drought coverage increasing by 4% and extreme (D3) drought coverage increasing by 3%. While all of Utah is under at least moderate (D1) drought conditions, D3 drought coverage decreased by 19%. All of Wyoming is also under at least D1 drought conditions, and D3 drought coverage increased by 10%.
Pacific Ocean temperatures transitioned to El Niño conditions in June. Observed sea surface temperature anomalies were approximately +1.2 °C above average in the Niño 3.4 region, indicating a moderate El Niño. El Niño is favored to persist through early spring 2027, with an 81% chance of a very strong El Niño from October–December 2026. NOAA precipitation forecasts suggest an active monsoon season with an increased probability of above average precipitation during July for Utah, southwestern Colorado, and southwestern Wyoming, and an increased probability for above average precipitation for most of the region during July–September. NOAA seasonal forecasts suggest an increased probability of above average temperatures for July–September.
Significant weather event: Late June wildfires. During late June, more than 10 wildfires started across Colorado and Utah. The largest of the fires are the Babylon and Cottonwood fires in Utah, and the Aspen Acres fire in Colorado. These fires collectively have burned hundreds of thousands of acres, destroyed homes and other structures, and strained firefighting resources across the region. Every fire in the list below caused evacuations, with several prompting large-scale community evacuations and state disaster declarations. The Aspen Acres fire has burned more than 275 homes. Three firefighters lost their lives in the Snyder fire, and two more were injured.
Here is a list of wildfires in Colorado and Utah that started in late June and are actively burning at the time this briefing is published on July 9, 2026.
Go to our new Intermountain West Current Wildfires and Smoke Forecast Map for up-to-date information on the following wildfires.
Name of Wildfire | County | Acres Burned | Start Date |
|---|---|---|---|
Babylon | San Juan (UT) | 101,000+ | June 27 |
Cottonwood | Beaver, Piute (UT) | 96,000+ | June 22 |
Aspen Acres | Custer, Pueblo, Huerfano (CO) | 96,000+ | June 29 |
Ferris | Montezuma, Dolores (CO) | 62,000+ | June 27 |
Gold Mountain | Ouray (CO) | 32,000+ | June 27 |
Snyder | Mesa (CO), Grand (UT) | 30,000+ | June 27 |
Wild Goose | Millard (UT) | 12,000+ | June 26 |
Willow | Lake (CO) | 4,000+ | June 28 |