Global warming over the next century could significantly reduce
the amount of winter snowpack in mountainous areas in the
northern hemisphere, according to a new study published in
Nature Climate Change Seasonal snowpack melt is an essential
source of fresh water, and its loss could threaten drinking
water supplies, agricultural irrigation and wildlife ecosystems.
Stanford University climate expert Noah Diffenbaugh led the
study, which compares snowpack conditions across the northern
hemisphere in the late 20th century with climate model
projections for the next one hundred years. Those projections
are based on a range of scenarios which foresee a rise in
average global temperatures of between two and four degrees
Celsius. Snowpack Climate Change The study concludes that
average snow accumulation will decrease in most regions of the
Western United States, Europe, Central Asia and the Himalayas,
compared to historical patterns. It projects that low and
extremely low snow falls would exceed the lows of the late