Snow drought is worsening the American West’s water woes

ON MARCH 13TH Denverites watched from frozen windows as the fourth-biggest snowstorm ever to hit their city buried Colorado’s capital two feet deep, and added fresh powder to the foothills of the Rockies. Local officials closed the main highway to the mountains to stop eager skiers getting trapped on icy roads on their way to the slopes. After a dry 2020 and a warm start to winter, the storm brought eastern Colorado’s winter snowpack (the accumulation of snow) up to average levels. When it melts, water will replenish thirsty reservoirs, rivers and soil. But much of the Mountain West watched the snow falling on Denver with envy.