During Earth Week, as we look at the implications of our changing climate, one of the more significant transformations is a declining Sierra Nevada snowpack.
Researchers have been warning that if we don’t make major changes to reduce our emissions immediately, we will see more frequent extreme weather in the future. And for the Sierra, it could mean much less snow, which means less of a water supply for Californians.
By 2054, much of the snow in the Sierra Nevada may be at 7,000 feet and higher, and below that mark, heavy rain could result in more frequent events of flash flooding. Chief Meteorologist Jeff Ranieri reports.
In the past, we’ve seen colder winter storms with higher snowfall totals during the months of December through February. But as temperatures rise, the snowpack is expected to decline, with only February as a big snow producing month.
Recently we’ve had two years …