West Facing Record Low Snow Levels

Does it feel like deja vu? This persistently repeatable pattern that has been locked in for most of December has some side effects. No snow for the west. While areas around the Midwest are seeing their snowiest start to the Winter in years, areas out west are looking at their slowest start to the water year.

Take for instance, the Pacific Northwest. They've been seeing the worst of both patterns: warm systems that bring inundating rainfall to the area, without the benefits of slow-melting snowfall, keeping watersheds fed with a much-needed consistent water source.

Other areas like Colorado have seen a fairly soggy past month, but got off to one of the latest starts to winter on record in Denver. Kinda like how the northwest was struggling, any shot at moisture fell at once, as rain.

All of this information comes from the National Integrated Drought Information System, an offshoot of NOAA

Interactive Map at this link here

So what would help? A breaking down of the pattern would be a great place to start, with some signs that we might get some help. As the jet stream dips into the holiday week, heavy rain will target California, but at least will start out a bit more to the south compared to where it's been recently.