Climate

Extreme flooding in the Southwest foreshadows a wild El Niño winter

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Based on a feed excerpt; full article content has not been acquired. Source evidence retrieved 05/11/2026, 14:30:23 UTC.

Briefings

A ferocious storm in late October caused extreme flooding in Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah, killing at least four people. This event coincided with a strong El Niño event, which is expected to bring wetter conditions to the Southwest through winter 2026-2027. The Colorado River reservoirs are already near collapse, and while increased rainfall might provide some drought relief, the system cannot reverse its decline. The exact snowpack levels in Colorado remain unknown as of the report's publication.

Key points

• A ferocious storm in late October caused extreme flooding in Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah, killing at least four people.
• Precipitation outlooks through February 2027 favor wetter conditions across the southern United States, with a 50% or higher probability of wetter weather.

Context

The Colorado River's two largest reservoirs, Lake Powell and Lake Mead, are approaching the point of collapse. The Colorado Climate Center director noted that while increased rainfall might help fill these reservoirs, the system's precipitous decline cannot be reversed. The report links recent extreme weather to a strong El Niño event, which is the strongest on record and expected to intensify further.

Limitations

The report explicitly states that it is too early to determine the exact snowpack levels in Colorado, as snowpack releases water slowly in spring while rain flows quickly into rivers. Additionally, the seasonal outlooks provided are limited to specific dates and regions, with some areas like Hawaii having no corresponding probability data.

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