Why the West Needs Snow, Not Rain

For this episode, we pivot to a different kind of problem: warm winters and thin snowpack across the West. When snow turns to rain, reservoirs don’t refill; water rushes off, flooding and leaving little for summer. We break down how mid-elevation snowpack drives most runoff, why ski towns and resort jobs feel the pain first, and how agriculture—winter wheat, sugar beets, and more—pushes the impact to your grocery bill. From the Pacific Northwest’s atmospheric rivers to Utah’s snow-dependent water supply, the stakes reach far beyond the slopes.