Leaner snowpack in Western Canada and United States mountain ranges is causing drier summers and increasing wildfire risk, says a new study from the University of Colorado Boulder.
Lead author Kate Hale said her team analyzed mountain snow data and found snowpack water storage decreased more than 25 per cent from 1950 to 2013. This, she said, can be attributed to earlier snowmelt, less snowfall and more rain.
Hale said snow in these regions typically wouldn't start melting until late May or June, but has begun showing signs of snow thawing as early as March. Holly Chubb, a climate researcher at the University of British Columbia, agreed, saying a serious decline in the snowpack would cause "cascading issues" for energy security in B.C.
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