Drought can take different forms across the Intermountain West. This region includes many different climatic, geographic, economic, and social conditions. These include deserts and forests, fertile valleys and alpine peaks, densely populated cities, and some of the most remote landscapes in America. Drought onset may occur quickly and last a season, or begin gradually and last decades. The Rocky Mountain regions rely on winter snowpack to sustain cities, towns, agriculture and recreation. In the Southwest, the summer monsoons help people, and livestock, get through the hot summer months. In addition to (and because of) the highly variable precipitation, all five states in the Intermountain West also depend on the over-allocated Colorado River for a consistent water supply. The Intermountain West DEWS helps foster interstate coordination to cope with current and future droughts and growing water demands and supports increased communication and collaboration between scientific, water, and land management communities.Primary contact: Meredith Muth, Acting Regional Drought Information Coordinator