Limited water supplies are predicted in many areas west of the Continental Divide, according to this year's second forecast by the National Water and Climate Center of USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service.
There are snow measuring stations in California, Nevada and Oregon that don't have any snow and a full recovery isn't likely, the center's staff said.
USDA is partnering with states to help mitigate the severe effects of drought on agriculture.
USDA announced last week $15 million was available for conservation assistance to farmers and ranchers in affected areas in California, Texas, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Colorado and New Mexico. As part of the announcement, $5 million was also made available to California communities through the Emergency Watershed Protection Program.
Earlier this month, USDA made another $20 million available to farmers and ranchers in California.
Parts of eastern California are now in a state of emergency because of drought. This area is suffering one of the lowest snow years on record. Meanwhile, in Oregon, mountain snowpack is far below normal.
Across the Continental Divide, Montana, Wyoming and Colorado are mostly near normal. The one exception is New Mexico, which is extremely dry.
Although NRCS' streamflow forecasts do not predict drought, they provide information about future water supply in states where snowmelt accounts for the majority of seasonal runoff.[[In-content Ad]]
