As drought worsens, Western states brace for wildfires, water shortages

By: Alex Brown

Outlets: Stateline

Published: May 8, 2026

Words: 1,288

Last Updated: 3 weeks, 6 days ago

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From the Rockies to the Cascades to the Sierra Nevada, mountainsides across the West are sparsely covered by the snow that usually blankets the high country well into the summer.

That snowpack is like a savings account that the West draws on when the hot, dry months arrive. It moistens the landscape as it melts, lessening the risk of severe wildfire. The runoff feeds into river basins, and the swelling waterways provide power to hydroelectric …

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