How much water flows into Southwestern U.S. cities next year will depend on the coming snowfall and the resulting snowpack accumulation. So far, it’s not looking good . High mountain snows, the source of most of the region’s water supplies, are projected to be lower than usual this winter in the Southern Rockies. This means that come spring, forecasters expect less snowmelt to flow into the Colorado River Basin and other nearby watersheds . In addition, a warming climate is causing accumulated snow to melt earlier and faster than before, with no guarantee that water will last until next season’s thaw. Even though localities store the melted snow in mountain reservoirs, sometimes there’s just not enough. Many cities aren’t prepared for the water scarcity that lies ahead—their infrastructure isn’t built to handle sustained droughts or withstand an increasing number of wildfires that are magnified by a lack of rainfall. […]