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, 09:15:24 UTC.

Briefings

A ferocious storm in late October caused extreme flooding in Colorado, killing at least four people, while a wetter winter from El Niño is expected to flood the Southwest. The Colorado River's two largest reservoirs, Lake Powell and Lake Mead, are approaching collapse. Precipitation outlooks through February 2027 favor wetter conditions, though snowpack remains too early to determine. The event highlights the risk of flash flooding in mountainous terrain and the long-term threat of reservoir depletion.

Key points

• A ferocious storm in late October caused extreme flooding in Colorado, killing at least four people.
• Precipitation outlooks through February 2027 favor wetter conditions, though snowpack remains too early to determine.

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 the El Niño connection is clear, and a wetter winter looks likely across the southern US.

Limitations

Snowpack levels in Colorado remain too early to determine. The evidence covers a specific event in late October and seasonal outlooks through February 2027, with no data on future years beyond that period.

Generated by Bittrees-hosted qwen35-2b sha256:aaf42c8b7c3c on 05/11/2026, 09:27:07 UTC. Based on publisher-provided feed evidence; may not cover the full original article. Check the source for details.

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