EPA Releases New Snowpack Map for the Western U.S.

This week, EPA’s Creating Resilient Water Utilities (CRWU) program released a new climate data map on snowpack change in the Western U.S. The map provides water managers with snowpack and precipitation data and information on how snowpack conditions in the Western U.S. could vary due to changes in climate.

According to EPA: “Climate models project increasing temperatures and more variable precipitation through the end of the century in the western U.S. These changes will impact the amount of snowpack, complicating management of resources as the predictability of supply becomes less reliable. Also, the changing climate will shift the timing of snowmelt. It is critical for water utilities to be aware of these potential changes. By reviewing the range of potential future snowpack conditions, relative to historical (baseline) conditions, utilities can assess how current practices would perform and plan for potential water supply disruptions and possible actions necessary to ensure continued service.” The snowpack change map also includes case studies highlighting how utilities have begun planning for and adapting to potential changes in future snowpack conditions. Access the Snowpack Map at EPA.

WaterISAC has been closely monitoring changing snowpack conditions in the Western U.S. and recently reported on other open-source snowpack data tools that NASA offers. Find out more about NASA’s Water Resources Program here.