Tornado Alley (PROG)

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The Western U.S. is experiencing an exceptionally warm and dry winter in early 2026, with December 2025 ranking as the warmest on record for states including California, Nevada, Washington, and Utah. This "snow drought" is driven by a persistent high-pressure ridge, causing low snowpack levels and increasing risks for reduced water supply.

Key Impacts and Data (Winter 2025–2026)

Record Warmth: December 2025 was the warmest on record for Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.

Snow Drought: Snowfall has been limited, with much of the region experiencing either below-average snowpack or snow drought, even in areas with adequate total precipitation where rain fell instead of snow.

Causes: A persistent ridge of high pressure in the West has dominated, steering storms north and keeping temperatures high. This is often tied to a "warm West, cold East" pattern, notes CNN.

Regional Specifics: Salt Lake City and Phoenix experienced record-warm winter conditions.

Long-Term Risks: The low snowpack threatens water supplies for 40 million people reliant on the Colorado River.

Future Outlook: Despite a potential shift to slightly wetter conditions, warmer-than-normal temperatures are expected to persist, potentially exacerbating snowpack deficits, according to Drought.gov.

This severe,, "warm-west" pattern is consistent with trends that have become more frequent due to climate change, with many areas of the Mountain West experiencing significant warming trends, KUNR reports.