A New Benchmark Low: A Deep Dive into Colorado Snowpack, and a Westwide Perspective on This Year's Snow Drought

Jason Gerlich

National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS)

Tuesday, Jun 02, 2026, 12:00 pm MT
DSRC Room GC402

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Abstract

Colorado and the broader West grappled with unprecedented weather and climate anomalies this winter, causing a historic snow drought. This session will closely examine the data assessing Colorado's snowpack and this year's extremes, which set a new benchmark low for the state's snowpack. Consequently, conditions across Colorado and the West have deviated from the normal decision-making cycle shifting how water is planned for, stored and released. This is causing crucial reservoirs to recede far earlier than anticipated and water supply forecasts to fall below historic record lows. Further complicating things, the drivers of snow droughts vary, and this year's was marked by several significant events across the state and the West that made monitoring and assessing conditions challenging. The presentation will examine those extremes using an integrated data approach, their impacts, and address lessons learned and opportunities to improve snow drought monitoring and assessment for the next season.

Bio: Jason Gerlich is a Regional Drought Information Coordinator at the National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS) for the Pacific Northwest and Missouri River Basin Drought Early Warning Systems (DEWS). In this position he supports NIDIS and its tribal, local, state, and federal partners in developing and implementing the regional DEWS. Jason completed a Bachelor of Science in watershed science with a minor in soil science at Colorado State University (CSU). During his time at CSU he worked on projects ranging from snowpack persistence along the Continental Divide to developing best management practices (BMPs) in agronomic systems to improve water quality. Gerlich went on to receive his Master of Science in Soil Science and Global Change (IMSOGLO) a joint university program between Ghent University in Belgium and Aarhus University in Denmark. His portfolio at NIDIS focuses primarily on advancing snow drought monitoring, assessment, and communication, the drought and energy nexus, and serving as a core team member for the Northern Great Plains Regional Incubator in Drought Resilience project. His work helps convene, coordinate, deliver information, and advance research into action to strengthen drought early warning.