A record snow drought coupled with unprecedented heat is hitting much of the American West, reducing future water supplies, making it more vulnerable to wildfires and hurting winter tourism and recreation.
A record snow drought in the western US raises concerns about water shortages and wildfiresScientists say both snow cover and snow depth are at the lowest levels they’ve seen in decades, while at least 67 western weather stations measured their warmest December through early February on record. According to the National Snow and Ice Data Center, normal snow cover this time of year should be about 460,000 square miles — about the size of California, Utah, Idaho and Montana — but this year it’s only California-sized, about 155,000 square miles, according to the National Snow and Ice Data Center.
“I’ve never seen a winter like this before,” said center director Mark Sereje, who has been in Colorado for nearly 40 years. “This pattern that we’re in is very persistent.”
Snowpack — measured by how much water is trapped inside — is not only a record low in Oregon, but 30% lower than the previous record, said Jason Garlich, regional drought early warning system coordinator for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Much of the United States east of the Rockies has been snowbound and endured more than two weeks of unusually bone-chilling cold, but in West Jordan, Utah, a suburb of Salt Lake City, Trevor Stephens went to the store in gym shorts and a T-shirt last week.
“There’s no snow on the ground right now,” he said in a video interview, looking out his window and lamenting the lack of snowboarding opportunities. “I’d certainly rather have icy roads and snow than what’s going on here now.”
Ski resorts were already struggling through a difficult season, but the lack of snowfall was persistent enough that concerns about the wider impact were growing.
Oregon, Colorado and Utah reported their lowest statewide snowpack since the early 1980s, so far as records go.
A dry January means most states saw half or less of their average rainfall. Sunny days and above-average temperatures mean little snow in a month that has historically been heavy in the Pacific Northwest and northern Rockies. California is faring better than other states due to heavy rainfall in December, scientists said.
As of Monday, it had been 327 days since 1 inch of snow fell at Salt Lake City International Airport, the longest stretch since 1890-91, according to the National Weather Service.
Little snow in Colorado and Utah has put the Upper Colorado River basin at the center of the snow drought, Garlich said.
A robust mountain snowpack that slowly melts in the winter as it warms in the spring provides a steady flow of water to creeks and rivers. It helps ensure that there is enough water for agriculture, cities, hydroelectric power systems and more
But a lack of snowpack or too rapid a meltdown means less water will replenish rivers like the Colorado later in the season.
“This is a pretty big problem for the Colorado Basin,” said Daniel Swain of the University of California’s Water Resources Institute.
Experts say the snow drought could trigger an early wildfire season. Danielle McEvoy, a researcher at the Western Regional Climate Center, said the earlier-than-average snow disappearance coincides with warmer weather in the spring and summer, which dries out soil and vegetation more quickly.
Although it was dry, the record-low snowpack was mostly due to a warming West, linked to climate change from burning coal, oil and natural gas, several scientists said. Since Dec. 1, more than 8,500 daily high temperature records have been broken or tied in the West, according to NOAA data.
Most of the precipitation that normally falls as snow and stays on the mountains for months falls as rain instead of rain, which moves quickly, Swain and other scientists said. This is a problem that scientists have warned about in regards to climate change.
Snowfalls do happen from time to time, but it’s the warming that’s been so extreme that it’s easy to link it to climate change, said Russ Schumacher, professor of atmospheric sciences at Colorado State University and Colorado State climatologist.
“It was so warm, especially in December, that the snow was only falling on the highest parts of the mountains,” McEvoy said. “And then we got into January and for the last three to four weeks it was pretty much dry and warm everywhere.”
Forecasters are expecting wetter, cooler weather with some snow across the West this week, so this could be the peak of the snow drought. But it’s still a lot of Ella Kaya will be warmer than normal and scientists are not optimistic that there will be enough snow.
“I don’t think we want to go back to the average or anywhere near it,” Schumacher said. “But at least we can alleviate some of those deficiencies if it’s more proactive.”
The Associated Press receives support from the Walton Family Foundation for coverage of water and environmental policy. Solely responsible for all content. For all environmental coverage, see /hub/climate-and-environment
This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without text modification
