Colorado is known for its snowy mountains, but this winter has been the complete opposite. Across most of Colorado, snowpack levels are below normal, raising concerns for water supplies, rivers, farmers, and wildfire risk. Snowpack is important because it serves as a natural water storage system. When it melts in the spring and summer, it will go into rivers, farms, and the surrounding communities. This year, however, that storage system is falling behind.
As of early 2026, Colorado’s snowpack levels are below normal. Many places are having a “snow drought,” which means there’s not enough snow water in the ground, less than 20 percent at many testing sites. Areas like the Upper Arkansas Valley had about 49 percent of the normal snow amount by late 2025. While the northern parts of Colorado have a little more snow than the Upper Arkansas, the southern areas are missing a lot. By April 2025, the total snow across Colorado was only about 83 to 85 percent of what Colorado usually gets.
Delta County could experience some strong effects due to the lack of snowpack levels. When there is less snow in the mountains, there will be less water flowing into lakes and rivers during the summer months. This can cause problems for farmers who rely on that water for their crops, natural ecosystems, and for families who need water for daily activities. If the snow melts earlier in the spring, people might find that there’s not enough water available during the hottest part of the summer when it is needed the most.
Summer conditions may also be impacted. With not much snow slowly melting and releasing water, the soil will dry out faster, which can lead to drought and the risk of wildfires. Rivers might have less water for a longer period of time, affecting people who like to go rafting, animals that depend on water, and farmers who need it for irrigation.
The early budding of trees is another warning sign. Buds usually appear after long periods of cold, but warm winter temperatures have caused trees to wake up early. This makes them vulnerable to late freezes, which can damage crops and forests and increase stress heading into summer.
Tonya MacKendrick, a history teacher at Delta High School who also works in agriculture in her free time, explained how Colorado’s low snowpack is hurting local farmers and ranchers. She said that when the snowpack is low, there isn’t enough water to irrigate fields or support grazing land, which causes grass to stop growing and leaves less pasture later in the summer. Her irrigation water depends on the Overland Reservoir, and when it doesn’t fill, there is less water for shareholders, and they may run out much earlier than their usual goal of reaching September 1st. Because of this, her family has had to buy extra hay and even started feeding in August last year instead of waiting until winter. MacKendrick also shared that they have already reduced their herd size and started selling calves earlier, and if conditions continue, they may be forced to downsize even more. Overall, she warned that if these dry conditions keep happening, small ranchers may be pushed out of the industry, fields could go to waste without water, and the future for Colorado farmers and ranchers could become “bleak.”
Ben Magtutu, a science instructor who runs a fly fishing club and enjoys Colorado recreation, explained that snowpack is Colorado’s main “reserve” of water because it melts slowly and keeps rivers and streams flowing through spring and summer. He said when snowpack is low, river levels drop, and aquatic ecosystems suffer first, especially insects and invertebrates that fish rely on for food. Magtutu also explained that lower flows can lead to warmer water, which lowers oxygen levels and stresses fish, sometimes causing fishing restrictions during extreme heat. Magtutu added that drought in the mountains affects everyone downstream by hurting recreation businesses, increasing wildfire risk, and limiting water for farms and drinking supplies. He also warned that water shortages are creating tension over sharing Colorado River water between the Upper Basin and Lower Basin states, and if reservoirs like Lake Powell drop too low, it could become even harder to send enough water downstream, and that could become a big problem.
