Scientists are worried about a new risk to California’s snowpack
A flurry of storms unloaded historic amounts of rain and snow across California over the past month. The deluges, fueled by a parade of atmospheric rivers, filled reservoirs and have improved drought conditions across large swaths of the state. The Sierra snowpack has ballooned to more than double its usual size for this time of year. The snow will continue to replenish California’s water supplies as it melts during the warmer months. …Picturesque locales where Californians ski and enjoy other snow activities are burning in wildfires more often, undergoing long-lasting changes that make snowpack melt earlier. Snow can even melt in the middle of winter, before reservoir managers are ready to shift from flood control to water storage.
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