December marks the start of meteorological winter — when temperatures plunge, heavy coats are in fashion and kids begin picking their teams for snowball fights.

But the snow season usually starts in October in the Rocky Mountains. By the end of November, snow depth on the Cascades, Sierra Nevada, and eastward to the interior Rockies typically ranges from 2 inches at lower elevations to over 20 inches on the highest elevations.

So what have we seen this year? Unfortunately, not much.

The lackluster snowpack is particularly worrisome amid widespread drought in the region — 94 percent of the West is experiencing drought, and many lakes and reservoirs are at historically low levels. A healthy snowpack this winter could help replenish water levels during the spring melt season -— but if snowpack is limited, deficits will grow.

About 94 percent of the western United States is experiencing drought and many lakes and reservoirs are at historically low levels.
Current conditions

Warm and dry conditions this fall have led to significant snowfall deficits across the western United States. November was warmer than average, and precipitation was below average everywhere except Washington state, which had a string of storms that caused major flooding.

The National Weather Service reported high elevation snowfall lagging behind by 10 to 20 inches last month. This snowfall in the west is critical for filling the region’s largest natural “reservoir” — mountain snowpack.