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Across the West, snow allows life to exist as we know it. Mountain snowpack holds water which then tumbles down to the deserts and plains throughout the year, filling rivers and reservoirs to sustain life; higher up in the mountain valleys ranchers in winter admire the awe of silent and snowy sunrises. Even higher on mountain slopes, recreationalists enjoy powdery ski turns and the feeling of flying. It's all part of what makes this place special.
But a new study projects that in about 35 to 60 years, mountainous states may be nearly snowless for years at a time if greenhouse gas emissions continue unchecked and climate change does not slow. The resulting lack of water would be "potentially catastrophic," according to the study's authors.
The Western United States has already lost 20% of its snowpack since the 1950s, and stands to lose another half (or more) later this century. Such predictions aren't just a specter on the distant horizon: right now, much of the West is experiencing a lack of snow, with snow cover across the nation at only 6%, the lowest since records began.
Past low-snow years, such as 2015 in the Sierra Nevada when peak snowpack was only 5% of normal, have strained water systems. But such years are projected to become chronic and persistent, occurring for prolonged periods of years at a time. As a result, water managers will need to adapt, establishing new strategies such as banking unused water from wetter years and putting in place recycled water systems.
A lack of snow will also have obvious impacts on winter recreation across the West, impacting outdoor recreation economies and local communities. That said, snow sports aren't the only outdoor activities that will suffer under future climate conditions. From hunting and fishing to river and trail sports, climate change is already threatening outdoor recreation.
Whether it's a lack of snow on the horizon or the increasing risks of catastrophic wildfires, one thing is clear: reducing greenhouse gas emissions to prevent the worst of climate change is going to be far less costly—to both our pocketbooks and our ways of life—than the consequences of inaction.
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They keep saying, ‘We fixed it, we fixed it,’ and we keep showing that it's not fixed... The bottom line is I shouldn't be afraid to go outside. And no one should feel afraid to breathe the air in their own house.”
