April 1 snowpack below normal for much of the West

The Natural Resources Conservation Service produces this weekly report using data and products from the National Water and Climate Center and other agencies. The report focuses on seasonal snowpack, precipitation, temperature, and drought conditions in the U.S.

In the Western U.S., the April 1 snowpack conditions signal the peak snow amounts for most of the mountain ranges in the West.  Across the region, 2022 started with record snowpack as December saw above-average precipitation. Since then, most of the West has been extremely dry compared to previous years, with only a few storms adding to the snowpack.  The current snowpack is below normal to much-below normal in most of the West, with the driest conditions occurring in California, Oregon, northern Montana, eastern Wyoming, and in southern Arizona and New Mexico where data indicates the snowpack has nearly melted out. In contrast, most of the snowpack in Interior Alaska is much-above normal for this time of year at over 150% of median.  Open report>>