Rockies Snowpack Loss Unrivaled in 800 Years, Threatens Western Water Supply

[wtmusic]

"A US Geological Survey study released today suggests that snowpack declines in the Rocky Mountains over the last 30 years are unusual compared to the past few centuries. Prior studies by the USGS and other institutions attribute the decline to unusual springtime warming, more precipitation falling now as rain rather than snow and earlier snowmelt.

The warming and snowpack decline are projected to worsen through the 21st century, foreshadowing a strain on water supplies. Runoff from winter snowpack – layers of snow that accumulate at high altitude – accounts for 60 to 80 percent of the annual water supply for more than 70 million people living in the western United States."

http://thinkprogress.org/romm/issue/

[Gman]

1. The earth will eventually return itself to a pristine condition

after billions of people are killed off from all these things, including and probably especially global warming. It make take centuries, but it will happen. Any species that overpopulates will have a huge die off when the resources it uses to sustain itself are no longer there.

[jaysunb]

2. I could be wrong but,

I thought I heard that the snow packs in the High Sierras here in California had an unusual amount due to the heavy winter parcipitation. Don't know if that will help or hurt w/ the 45 million of us around here. :shrug:

[IDemo]

4. This has been a curious year for much of the West

Idaho received the third largest snowpack in state history and the rivers are at or near flood levels. The only thing preventing severe flooding has been temps 20 degrees below normal.

[intheflow]

6. I've heard we've had record snow in the mountains,

I don't negate the warming trend over the long haul, I've seen glacial snow getting smaller each winter and I've only been out here for a decade. But we've had a lot of rain this spring and early summer, and that equals snow in the mountains. They have been reporting near-record snowpack this year.

Here's a report from ABC a month ago: http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=13631637

[Kaleva]

3. A massive desalination project, consisiting of many plants,...

will make the shortage less sever.

[jimlup]

5. This is interesting because the antecdotal info I have is that the snow pack is quite substaintal

I wonder how the year to year variation changes and what the issues really are. It could be that the late season storms were more significant this year but I'm just curious to see some data in graphical form to verify this. I climb in the Rockies each season but have not been out yet this year.

[Viking12]

7. A single year is not indicative of a trend.

[jimlup]

8. RIght right and actually after I read the article it answered that...

Plus, I tend to be near Denver which is in the Southern region. Generally the mountains have had a lot of precip. the last 3 years but apparently not enough to turn the tide on this one.