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Across the Northwest, federal, state and regional officials are in general accord: There isn’t enough snow and with the start of spring just days away, the next couple of weeks will determine just how challenging it could get this summer for agricultural irrigators, fish and wildfires.

New research is showing a relationship between years with earlier snowmelt and increased stress on mountain forests like the Southern Oregon Cascades. That could lead to more wildfires.

February’s monthly snow survey revealed California’s snowpack is at 80% of what’s average for this time of year. Experts say warmer storms, which brought lots of rain but less snowfall, are to blame.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture painted a dire picture of snow packs in its Jan. 1 water outlook report. That report showed that most Oregon snowpacks were well below normal levels.

Scientists say predicting the effects of climate change on avalanches is elusive: Many factors such as temperature, rain and winds are altered by the changing climate. Lower-elevation areas may see fewer avalanches, but uncertainties remain about higher elevations.

It’s a stark contrast to where the state was at last year, when a series of atmospheric rivers brought extraordinarily high levels of precipitation to California.

This winter, researchers predicted record-breaking snowpack and precipitation would mean a reduced risk for massive wildfires. So far, that theory has held up.

Warmer temperatures are melting the state's historic snowpack. Already flooded communities downstream are scrambling to prepare for the surge.

During the final statewide snow survey of the year, researchers at Phillips Station near Lake Tahoe recorded a snow depth of nearly five feet. That’s 241% of the May 1 average for this area.

It’s been a wet winter in California, one that’s brought record-breaking precipitation to many parts of the state. Now, state officials say it’s time to prepare for springtime runoff to come from now-historic levels of snowpack.

Dozens of atmospheric rivers hit the West Coast this winter and California snowpack levels are soaring.

Storms have been sweeping across California since last December. Areas with high elevation are forecasted to experience the brunt of this week's extreme weather.