As the United States grapples with an unusually warm and dry winter, scientists and local officials are raising alarm bells over the severe drought conditions affecting more than two-thirds of the country.
The Washington Post’s analysis of recent U.S. Drought Monitor data reveals that the drought is widespread, touching every state except the typically drought-prone California, which has experienced a wetter winter. States such as Georgia, Maine, North Carolina, Florida, New Mexico, and Virginia are among the hardest hit, with a high percentage of their areas in severe drought.
In Utah, a staggering 93% of the state is experiencing moderate to extreme drought, with temperatures nearly 10 degrees above average this winter. Jon Meyer, Utah’s assistant state climatologist, told the Washington Post, “We had green grass and weeds growing in our city even into January, leading me to be more worried about mowing instead of shovelling snow. I’ve never seen anything like it.”
The situation is particularly concerning in the Mountain West region, which relies heavily on snowfall for both winter tourism and water supplies from snowmelt. Colorado is facing a “snow drought,” with the state’s snowpack at the lowest on record for this time of year, following the warmest December on record in 2025.
“It’s as grim as it gets right now,” Brad Udall, a water and climate research scientist at the Colorado Water Center at Colorado State University, told Colorado Public Radio.
Brad Riesenberg, who owns a backcountry snowmobiling business in Park City, Utah, said the mild winter has been one of his worst years for business in two decades. “We’ve lost lots and lots of money and it’s been pretty tough,” he told CNN. “This is up there with some of the worst [winters], if not the worst.”
Researchers point to a variety of factors contributing to the drought, including climate change, persistent La Niña conditions, and the ongoing marine heat wave in the northern Pacific Ocean. The lack of water has been especially concerning in the Western U.S., where negotiations remain deadlocked over the over-subscribed Colorado River.
A recently published 40-year study warns that the climate crisis will increase the frequency, severity, and reach of drought, with drought-stricken areas spreading by an additional 50,000 square kilometres on average each year since 1980. This is a concerning trend that could have devastating consequences for ecosystems, agriculture, and energy production.
As the country grapples with this winter’s drought, scientists, local officials, and resource planners are closely monitoring the situation and urging action to address the underlying causes of this growing crisis.
