Climate change is shriveling critical snowpacks across the Mountain West, study finds
In the Mountain West, strong snowpacks keep ski resorts in business, allowing them to maintain snow and ice through spring. When snowpacks melt, the water fills rivers and reservoirs, providing water to communities for drinking and farming. Big snowpacks also alleviate drought conditions, reducing the risk of wildfire. Several snowpacks, however, are shrinking across the region and beyond due to climate change, according to a new study published in the journal Nature. Researchers at Dartmouth College studied 40 years of snowpack data from more than 160 Northern Hemisphere watersheds and landscapes that channel snowmelt and rainfall into a reservoir. They found roughly 20% of them have climate-driven snowpack loss. In the Mountain West, which includes the Colorado River, Rio Grande, and Great Salt Lake watersheds, areas where snowpacks have shrunk between 20% and 30%.