Winter Drought Tightens Grip on Much of US

January is supposed to bring snow days, not drought maps—but this winter, more than two-thirds of the United States is unusually dry, and the trend is deepening rather than easing. From the Pacific Northwest to New England, nearly every state except California is dealing with abnormal dryness or outright drought, making the stretch since July the nation's driest period since 2012, the Washington Post reports.

• Hardest-hit areas. Some of the hardest-hit areas are not the usual suspects: states with large swaths in "severe" drought include Georgia, Florida, Maine, North Carolina, Virginia, and New Mexico. Hawaii is also parched, with drought covering more than two-thirds of the islands. In the Plains and East, forecasters warn the lack of soil moisture could hit crops and lower stream flows heading into the growing season.

• Snow drought. The West faces a different problem: a snow drought. Utah stands out, with about 93% of the state in moderate to extreme drought and winter temperatures running nearly 10 degrees above normal. "We had green grass and weeds growing in our city even into January … I've never seen anything like it," says Jon Meyer, assistant state climatologist in Logan. He likens the state's dwindling snowpack and reservoirs to "water savings accounts" running low.
• Key water source is in trouble. Instead of powder, Utah and Colorado have seen winter rain that evaporates quickly—bad news for spring runoff and the already stressed Colorado River basin, a key water source for the region. "Another dry year doesn't bode well for the Colorado River System," says Russ Schumacher, Colorado's state climatologist. Schumacher says snow monitoring systems in the Rockies have recorded their lowest levels since they were installed almost 50 years.

• Fire outlook is "terrifying." That sets up a worrisome fire outlook. "It's terrifying to think of the upcoming fire season," says Scott Fitzwilliams, former supervisor of Colorado's White River National Forest. He says forest and water managers will be "on pins and needles" this spring. Sparse snowpack means drier landscapes, raising wildfire risk and threatening mountain economies that depend on skiing and tourism. "Skiers get ornery when they don't have their powder," Fitzwilliams says. While recent rains in Utah have slightly boosted soil moisture—offering a modest hedge against fires—scientists say the region will need "quite the parade of storms" to catch up, and long-range forecasts into February show little broad relief for the Intermountain West.

• Climate factors. Meteorologists link the widespread dryness to a mix of climate factors, the Post reports. Repeated La Niña years have cooled parts of the tropical Pacific, weakening the southern jet stream and starving the southern US of winter storms. At the same time, a persistent marine heat wave in the North Pacific has pushed the northern jet farther north, steering more storms toward Alaska and occasionally the Pacific Northwest while leaving much of the country in between with fewer rain and snow events. A developing El Niño could eventually help by reshuffling storm tracks, but forecasters expect drought to intensify in many areas before that happens.