This page in our free multimedia library features photos of the low snowpack in Colorado’s Rocky Mountains during the 2025-2026 snow drought.
This collection includes imagery from Colorado ski areas (Purgatory, Crested Butte, Loveland and Breckenridge) as well as aerial/landscape photos.
Like many other Western states, Colorado experienced meager snowfall, leading to reduced runoff, decreased visitation to ski areas and a heightened risk of wildfires.
“This year’s peak snowpack will be the new benchmark low for Wyoming, Utah, Colorado, and New Mexico; there are no comparable years,” according to a May 14 update from the National Integrated Drought Information System.
A May 14 report from the Western Water Assessment at the University of Colorado Boulder concluded that “record warm October-March temperatures caused frequent rain events below 8,000 feet and record warm March temperatures caused snowpack to peak one month early and rapidly melt.”
For more on the record-breaking snow drought, see this post from Water Desk Co-Director Mitch Tobin.
| Date | December 2025 to March 2026 |
| Location | Colorado (map) |
| Credit | Mitch Tobin/The Water Desk |
| Rights | Free to reuse under Creative Commons license. |
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