Intermountain West Climate Dashboard
The Intermountain West Climate Dashboard provides situational awareness of climate, 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 climate, drought, and water conditions for the Intermountain West are also available from these providers:
- Colorado Climate Center/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
Reservoir Storage
Precipitation Forecast
Seasonal Climate Outlooks
ENSO Conditions and Forecasts
Latest Briefing
March 6, 2023 - CO, UT, WY
Despite a dry first half of February, monthly precipitation was near-to-above average for most of the region and regional snowpack conditions remain average to much-above average. February temperatures were below average for the entire region. Seasonal streamflow volume forecasts are generally near-average to above average for the Upper Colorado River and Great Basins. Drought conditions remain in place for 55% of the region, but improved slightly during February, especially in Utah. The current La Niña ended during February, neutral ENSO conditions currently exist and are projected to continue through the summer. There is an increased probability of above average precipitation and below average temperatures during March for much of the region.
The region was relatively dry during the first half of February, but a very active weather pattern returned for the last two weeks of the month. Overall, precipitation during February was a mix of above and below average. The wettest February conditions occurred in Wyoming where most portions of the state received above average precipitation. February precipitation was slightly above average in western and southern Colorado, but drier in central portions of the state. In Utah, February precipitation was below normal except for portions of southern Utah and near Bear Lake. December through February precipitation was the wettest on record for parts of northwestern Colorado, central Utah and central Wyoming. Water-year precipitation remains above to much-above average for much of the region.
February temperatures were below average for the entire region and up to 6 degrees below normal for large areas of the region. The coldest regional temperatures were 9 to 15 degrees below normal in northwestern Colorado, northeastern Utah and southwestern Wyoming. Regional temperatures since the beginning of the water year have been below normal.
Despite below normal February precipitation for some of the region, regional snow water equivalent (SWE) remains above average for the entire region except the lower Arkansas River Basin. Percent normal SWE remains highest in Utah, ranging from 145-215% of normal. In Colorado, SWE is 120-140% of average on the West Slope, near-average in the South Platte and Rio Grande River Basins, but below average in the Arkansas River Basin. SWE in Wyoming ranges from 100-150% of normal.
Seasonal streamflow volume forecasts are near-average to much-above average for most regional river basins. Streamflow forecasts are highest in the Great Basin where forecasted volumes are 105-225% of average. In the Upper Colorado River Basin, seasonal streamflow forecasts range from 80-170% of average with the largest streamflow volumes forecasted for the Duchesne and Yampa River Basins. The Upper Green River Basin is forecasted to have slightly-below average to near-average streamflow conditions. Below average seasonal streamflow volumes are forecasted for much of the Arkansas and South Platte River Basins.
Regional drought conditions improved slightly during February; drought now covers 55% of the region, down slightly from the end of January. Most notably, there was a 1-2 category improvement in drought conditions over large areas of central Utah. In Utah, extreme (D3) drought was removed from Carbon, Duchesne, Juab, Sanpete, Tooele, Utah and Wasatch Counties. In Colorado, drought conditions worsened by 1 category in parts of the Rio Grande and Arkansas River Basins. The persistence of regional drought, especially in Utah, considering the near-record snowfall highlights the extremely dry conditions created by the last three years of drought and the need for multiple years of above average precipitation to fully recover.
By the end of February, eastern Pacific Ocean temperatures warmed and the current La Niña ended. Neutral ENSO conditions exist as of March 1st and there is a 75-95% chance of neutral conditions persisting into summer. During late summer and fall 2023, there is above a 50% probability of El Niño conditions developing. The NOAA Monthly Outlook for March suggests an increased probability of above average precipitation and below average temperatures for the entire region except southeastern Colorado. The NOAA Seasonal Outlook for March-May suggests an increased probability of below average precipitation for much of Colorado and Utah, especially around the Four Corners and an increased probability of above average temperatures for southern Colorado and Utah.
Significant February weather event. Still snowing… Despite a dry first half of February, regional monthly precipitation ended up near-average to above average at many mountain locations. March 1st SWE conditions were average to much-above average for nearly all regional river basins. With 30-45 days before the time of typical peak snowpack, most SNOTEL sites in Utah (83%) and many sites in western Colorado and southwestern Wyoming have already exceeded average peak SWE accumulation. Twelve Utah snow monitoring sites have observed record amounts of SWE and an additional 8 sites recorded the second-highest SWE total as of March 1st. Snowpack conditions in Colorado and Wyoming are not as deep as in Utah, but four sites and Wyoming and one site in Colorado observed record SWE amounts as of March 1st. Although most snow monitoring locations in Utah are no longer on pace to break snowfall and SWE records, the 2023 water year consistently ranks among the highest SWE accumulation years since snow and SWE observations began.
February 9, 2023 - CO, UT, WY
The calendar year started with near-continuous storms and favorable water supply forecasts. Snow-water equivalent (SWE) was near-normal to much-above normal for most of the region, with February 1st SWE as high as 200% of normal in Utah and southwestern Wyoming and 150% of normal in Colorado and the rest of Wyoming. Regional precipitation was generally greater than 200% of normal. Regional temperatures were mostly near normal, with pockets of below normal temperatures in Colorado and Wyoming. February 1st seasonal streamflow forecasts are near-to-much-above average except for the river basins east of the Continental Divide in Colorado. Regional drought conditions improved slightly during January. Neutral ENSO conditions are likely to prevail by early spring.
January precipitation was greater than 200% of normal for much of the region, particularly in Utah. Parts of central Wyoming and northeastern Colorado received over 400% of average precipitation in January. Pockets of below normal January precipitation were observed in central Colorado and northwestern Wyoming. Regional water year precipitation is average to above average except in southeastern Colorado northwestern Wyoming and eastern Wyoming.
Regional temperatures were mostly near-normal to below normal in January. Parts of central Wyoming were up to 8 degrees below normal. Locations with warmer than normal January temperatures included the Great Salt Lake basin, eastern Utah, central Colorado, and northeastern Wyoming.
Regional snow water equivalent (SWE) is near-normal to much-above normal for the entire region except for the lower Arkansas River Basin. February 1st SWE is 140-200% of normal in Utah and southwestern Wyoming. Snowpack in Colorado and the remainder of Wyoming is 100-150% of normal. Much of the region experienced significant SWE accumulation in the first half of January as a series of nine atmospheric river events impacted the western United States. In Utah, 26 snotel monitoring sites observed record SWE at some point during January and over 70% of Utah snotel sites have already reach average peak SWE.
February 1st seasonal streamflow forecasts are above normal in the Upper Colorado and Great Basins, with much-above normal forecasts for the Six Creeks and Provo River basins. Near-normal seasonal streamflow volumes (90-110%) are forecasted for the Upper Colorado, Dolores, Upper Green, Gunnison, San Juan, Bighorn, Powder, Shoshone, Snake, and Tongue Rivers. Above normal seasonal streamflow (110-130%) is forecasted for the Bear, Weber, Laramie, North Platte, and Wind Rivers. Much-above normal seasonal streamflow (>130%) is forecasted for the Duchesne, Lower Green, Utah Lake, Sevier, Six Creeks, and Virgin Rivers. Seasonal streamflow forecasts for most large Upper Colorado River Basin reservoirs are near-normal with above normal forecasts for McPhee, Echo, and Jordanelle Reservoirs. The inflow forecast for Lake Powell is 117% of normal. East of the Continental Divide in Colorado, seasonal streamflow forecasts are below normal for the Arkansas, Rio Grande, and South Platte Rivers.
Regional drought conditions improved slightly in January. On January 31, drought covered 56% of Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming, down from 58% in early January. In Utah, there was a one category improvement in drought conditions over much of the north-central part of the state; exceptional drought was removed and extreme drought coverage decreased by 9% in January. In central Wyoming, drought conditions improved by 1-2 categories and extreme drought coverage decreased. Drought conditions in southern Colorado, east of the Continental Divide worsened during January.
La Niña conditions persisted throughout January, but are forecasted to dissipate over the next 1-2 months. There is a 70-90% probability of neutral ENSO conditions during spring through early summer. By late summer, there is a 50% probability of El Niño conditions developing. The NOAA February monthly precipitation outlook suggests an increased probability of above average precipitation for northwestern Wyoming and equal chances of above or below normal precipitation for the rest of the region. The seasonal (February-April) precipitation outlook predicts an increased probability for above normal precipitation in northwestern Wyoming and below normal precipitation in southern Utah and much of Colorado. There is an increased probability of below normal temperatures for the entire region during February.
Significant January weather event: Snow, snow, snow! As of February 1st, Utah’s SWE was 171% of normal and all major basins in the state except for Raft River basin are above 150% of normal. Statewide SWE is 109% of Utah’s typical peak SWE, which guarantees an above normal snowpack season for much of Utah. Since SNOTEL sites were installed in Utah, the only years on record with more snow at the beginning of February were 1984 and 1997, making this winter the snowiest winter in 25 years. New SWE records were set in Utah as of February 1st. Three SNOTEL sites—Big Flat near Beaver, LaSal Mountain near Moab, and Vernon Creek near Vernon—reported a record-high SWE conditions compared to the last 30 years. The second-highest recorded SWE was observed at 11 additional sites. According to the NRCS Utah Snow Survey, the most probable outcome is for maximum SWE to reach 150% of normal. Considering the best-and-worst-case scenarios for the remainder of the winter, statewide SWE could range between 120% of normal to a new record-high statewide SWE.
