A presentation by: 

Russ Schumacher, Ph.D. - Professor and Colorado State Climatologist at Colorado State University

Water Year 2026 was the warmest one on record for Colorado, and among the driest. The mountain snowpack was in poor shape as of the beginning of March, and then an unprecedented heat wave led to rapid snowmelt for so early in the season. The result was widespread expansion and intensification of drought, and largescale declines in regional water supply and serious multi-sectoral drought impacts. In this presentation, we’ll look back at how the brutal snow season in 2025-2026 evolved, and also assess where things stand thus far in Water Year 2027.