Reduced Snowpack
Reduced Snowpack
According to the EPA, climate change has reduced the snowpack (the total amount of snow accumulated on the ground) in most of the American West since the 1950's.
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This is due to rising temperatures, more precipitation falling as rain instead of snow, and melting occurring earlier in the year.
Warming Temperatures Across the United States
Image Credit: Washington Post
Trends in April Snowpack in the Western United States, 1955–2022
Image Credit: EPA
This map from the EPA shows changes in April snowpack at monitoring sites over the past 60 years.
Most of the monitoring sites in Colorado show a 20-60% decrease in April snowpack depth.
When compared with the image above, it's evident that rising temperatures in the West have an obvious correlation with decreasing snowpack depth.
Scientists expect snowpack in the West to continue to decrease in the future. Some studies show the potential for up to a 70% decrease in snowpack in some Western regions by 2100.
Snow Water Equivalent (SWE)
Snow Water Equivalent (SWE)
Snow Water Equivalent (SWE) is a measurement commonly used by water managers to gauge the amount of liquid contained within the snowpack.
This determines the amount of water that will be released when the snow melts.
The amount of water held in snow stays the same regardless of settlement (the slow deformation and densification of snow under the influence of gravity) and compaction changes in the snowpack.
Image Source: National Geographic
This chart from Climate Central shows an average 15-30% decline in SWE across the West since 1955.
Image Credit: Climate Central
It is important to understand that both the average snowpack depth and the SWE are declining.
It is important to understand that both the average snowpack depth and the SWE are declining.
Changing Precipitation Trends: Warmer & Drier
Changing Precipitation Trends: Warmer & Drier
"Climate Change equates to significant, long-term climate variability"
— Donny O'Neill, Protect Our Winters (POW)
Warmer temperatures are causing more precipitation to fall as rain instead of snow, especially at higher elevations, leading to higher snowlines
Because warmer air can hold more moisture, an increase in air temperature is likely to produce heavier precipitation events
More variability in the weather leads to more random and harder to predict precipitation events
Longer periods of drought occurring mid-winter coupled with short, but intensive snowfall
During a storm in February 2019, a ski resort in California received over 4 feet of snow in 48 hours.
The resort shut down due to high avalanche risk.
Images Courtesy of SFGate
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