With record-breaking snowmelt, is the western US at risk for wildfires like those in Canada?
DENVER – A rapid snowmelt across the western United States is setting records for how quickly the frozen precipitation is disappearing and also raising alarms about future wildfire activity.
According to the National Integrated Drought Information System, many mountainous regions in states such as Colorado, Utah, Nevada, and New Mexico saw near- to above-average snowfall, but now many of the same basins are experiencing drought.
The rapid loss of snowpack, combined with elevated evaporation rates, can quickly dry out soils and vegetation, creating ideal conditions for wildfires.
"Snowmelt this time of year is common, but such rapid melt rates are not normal," experts with NIDIS stated. "In some instances, above-normal temperatures such as these can cause snow to sublimate (transition from a solid to a gas) and reduce runoff into streams and reservoirs."
Examples of snowless mountains include Wolf Creek Pass in Colorado and Baldy Mountain in Arizona.
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Large sections of Canada have also seen a shorter snowmelt period, which has coincided with an uptick in wildfire activity.
According to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre, more than 200 wildfires continue to burn across the country, with nearly 6.4 million acres destroyed since the beginning of the year.
While the figures appear to be staggering, they are still far short of 2023, when some 37 million acres burned, setting records for the country's worst fire season on record.
The previous record-breaking season led to significant smoke infiltration of the U.S., impacting air quality readings for millions of residents across North America.
Similar plumes of smoke have been observed during recent weeks, but due to the jet stream, most of the particles have remained elevated well above the surface.
A pattern shift would undoubtedly allow more of the hazardous air to reach the surface, leading to health concerns in addition to visibility issues.
With a lack of snow and fire dangers increasing across the western U.S., it might only be a matter of time before firefighters are racing to contain wildfires from the Desert Southwest to the Northern Rockies.
Because of the general west-to-east wind flow across the U.S., any large wildfire that pops up in the West naturally sends smoke eastward, potentially impacting a large chunk of the country.
Before And After Images Show The Extent Of Wildfire Damage Around Los Angeles
So far, the U.S. has been experiencing only an average wildfire season, but some of the worst months are still ahead.
According to the National Interagency Fire Center, 1.2 million acres have burned in 2025, which is below last year's figure, which was in excess of 2 million through the first five months of the year.
Outside of Florida, most counties facing drought conditions are in the western U.S., with nearly a third of the nation officially in significant deficit, according to data from the U.S. Drought Monitor.
As the calendar year heads deeper into summer, forecasters expect drought conditions to expand in many locations west of the Mississippi River, including in the Northern Plains and throughout California.Original article source: With record-breaking snowmelt, is the western US at risk for wildfires like those in Canada?
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