A combination of unusually balmy winter weather across much of the Western United States and one of the worst snow droughts in decades has experts bracing for what could be a particularly intense wildfire season. The snowpack is well below average for this time of year in nearly all Western states, with little time remaining to add snow cover and depth in the mountains before spring thaws begin. At the same time, higher-than-normal temperatures have made for a warmer and dryer winter than many