After a record winter #snowpack at many locations in eastern Utah and western Colorado, hot and dry conditions have caused the emergence of #drought. July was the driest on record for a large area of southwestern Colorado and southern Utah. Learn more: https://wwa.colorado.edu/resources/intermountain-west-climate-dashboard#latest-briefing

Great read on the current state of
#California
#SnowPack
#WaterResources #SierraNevada
#Aquifers
#Irrigation

—————

How California’s weather catastrophe turned into a miracle

https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2023/07/22/california-water-supply-lakes-reservoirs/

Well that sucks...

"Snow in the high country sometimes skips the liquid phase entirely, turning straight from a solid into a vapor. The phenomenon is responsible for anywhere between 10% to 90% of snow loss. This margin of error is a major source of uncertainty for the water managers trying to predict how much water will enter the system once the snow begins to melt."

https://www.hcn.org/articles/scientific-research-the-case-of-the-colorado-rivers-missing-water

#snowpack #drought #water

In #California, #snowpack over the #winter recharged the #waterfalls in #YosemiteNationalPark after the area’s three #driest years on record. Large parts of #YosemiteNationalPark were closed at the end of April to the public because of #flooding fears, as well as from late February to mid-March, when a daily #snowfall record was broken. In April, the California Department of Water Resources recorded 126.5 inches of snow and a #snow #water equivalent of 54 inches.

https://www.isciences.com/blog/2023/06/29/united-states-intense-surplus-to-persist-in-w-sw-states

10 years ago, downtown #Calgary was #underwater due to torrential rains on top of a thick #mountain #snowpack and saturated ground. The so-called #2013floods were the costliest #disaster in Canadian history, eclipsed only by the 2016 #FortMcMurraywildfires. One of my graduate students is looking at the changes to the rivers as a result of that flood, and also currently how the banks currently respond to heavy rain storms.

Experts reported that 80% of the #snowpack accumulated in the #SierraNevada this season has not melted yet. As of May 1st, the #SierraNevada #snowpack was 254% of its historical average, the second highest May 1st reading since modern records began. Read more: https://www.isciences.com/blog/2023/05/25/united-states-intense-water-surpluses-to-continue-in-w-sw-states

#flood #drought #climate #environment #WaterResources #FreshWater #sustainability #ClimateExtremes #WaterSecurity #EnergySecurity #FoodSecurity #CorporateSustainability #PublicHealth #Governance #WSIM #Geospatial

Referenced link: https://phys.org/news/2023-05-snowpack-retreat-california-mountains-due.html
Discuss on https://discu.eu/q/https://phys.org/news/2023-05-snowpack-retreat-california-mountains-due.html

Originally posted by Phys.org / @physorg_com: http://nitter.platypush.tech/physorg_com/status/1661827795335389206#m

#Snowpack predicted to retreat in California's mountains due to #climatechange https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00382-023-06776-w https://phys.org/news/2023-05-snowpack-retreat-california-mountains-due.html

WWA Director Ben Livneh and WWA PI Noah Molotch were co-authors on a study led by Katherine E. Hale (CU Boulder/INSTAAR) finding that from 1950 to 2013, #snowpack water storage significantly declined in more than 25% of the Mountain West. Learn more: https://www.nature.com/articles/s43247-023-00751-3

California has a massive snowpack this year thanks to a wet winter and spring. This means more clean and cheap electricity for the state, as the melting snow will feed the hydroelectric dams. The extra power will also help reduce the risk of blackouts and wildfires during summer.

#California #Snowpack #Hydroelectricity

https://www.times-standard.com/2023/05/09/massive-california-snowpacks-summer-bonus-more-clean-cheap-electricity/

WWA PI Noah Molotch and colleagues at INSTAAR have been using satellite data to track #snowpack along the Sierra Nevada range every two weeks. Their analysis on April 1—which is typically the date of peak snowpack—confirmed that this season was a boom. https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/151232/a-boom-year-for-sierra-nevada-snow

FROM CNN.com - “What a difference a year makes: From nearly no snow to a potentially record-breaking pile-up in California”

#Climate #Snowpack #CAwx

https://www.cnn.com/2023/04/10/us/colorado-river-water-cuts-winter-snow-climate/index.html

It’s #Tuesday Apr. 4 – Happy National Hug A Newsperson Day to those who stay informed! 💖
Our top 3 stories this #morning:

🪧 #Hollywood's most militant guild plans a #strike vote
🚑 #Riverside County running low on ambulance staff
🏔️ #Snowpack in the #SierraNevada is borderline historic

👉 Listen & subscribe to The L.A. Report at https://apple.co/3XMRcii or wherever you get your #podcasts, or

👉 Read more at https://laist.com

#LosAngeles #California #Local #News #SoCal

The science of #California’s record #snow: "Nature spoke to atmospheric and #climate scientists about what’s driving the surge in wet #weather and what the state could look like in a warmer future."

https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-023-00937-x

#atmosphericrivers #snowstorm #storms #snowpack #climatechange #extremeweather

The #Southwest continues to grapple with a record-setting winter according to latest from #USDA #NRCS. While healthy #snowpack doesn't translate directly into #drought relief (a lot depends on the #weather in the coming weeks), it certainly helps! Snow water equivalent recently hit all-time highs in #Utah and in California's southern and central Sierra. The northern Sierra, meanwhile, is close to the 1982-83 record.

The latest #snowpack map from #USDA #NRCS continues to bring good news, with most basins, including the #ColoradoRiver, at or above the long-term median. But, as always, the story is a little more complicated than that. Heavy snow in CA can lead to devastating #flooding. The CO #watersheds draining into the Arkansas, White, and Red Rivers are still dry. And #drought conditions have persisted in the #pnw where soil moisture, streamflow, and reservoir levels remain low despite a healthy snowpack.

#Snowpack is one of many indicators considered to create the #DroughtMonitor each week. Authors also look at precipitation, reservoirs, groundwater, and more. Take #Oregon. Despite a healthy snowpack, 78% of the state remains in #drought, the highest it has been since May. Over a third is in severe or worse condition, and farmers across the state are struggling.

Learn more about current conditions and the Drought Monitor at droughtmonitor.unl.edu.

#ORwx #science #weather #agriculture

As we approach the official start of spring, #snowpack across the #West continues to look strong, according to the #USDA #NRCS. Much of California, Nevada, and Utah are sitting around 200% of normal for this time of year. Most of the Northwest is right at the long-term median.

#drought #winter #CAwx #UTwx #NVwx #pnw #science #climate

Why rain on snow in the California mountains worries scientists https://theconversation.com/why-rain-on-snow-in-the-california-mountains-worries-scientists-201742. Interview with Keith Musselman. #snowpack #flood

We are at 229% of average April snowpack and close to the max southern California #snowpack recorded in 1982-83. It looks like we will be breaking the recording in the next few days. The #Kern river projected to be peak over 40K cfs, it is currently over 30K cfs.

Healthy #snowpack and improving #drought conditions have been the big stories this month. But, after years of dry conditions, many communities are still grappling with impacts like #water shortages and #ag losses.

Read all about it in our Feb impacts summary: storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/edd115ec2610427f9e6a5d1e0ecd2bfa

#DroughtMonitoring #agrictulture #livestock #waterconservation #DroughtImpacts