‘This Is the ’Uh-Oh’ Moment’: Record-Low Snowpack Leaves Western U.S. Bracing for Water Restrictions and Wildfire Danger

After the West’s warm winter and fast spring thaw, reservoirs that many communities depend on are entering summer with little margin for error.

With reserves already thin, water managers in places such as Utah and Idaho are warning that summer could bring stricter conservation rules and heightened wildfire danger.