Save Our Snow: Predicting Ski Conditions And Mountain Hydrology For The Years 2030 And 2100, Rocky Mountains
Williams, Mark W 1
1 CU-Boulder
Mountains, like the polar regions, are likely to experience the effects of global warming before lowland sites. Seasonally snow-covered areas are like canaries in a coal mine; early warning systems that climate change is occurring. Small increases in air temperature can cause snowfall to change to rainfall. A reduction in snowfall will decrease water availability, cause ski areas to shut down, and potentially push alpine tundra off the tops of mountains as treeline rushes uphill. Mountains make their own weather. Predicting future climate in mountain areas is very difficult. Here I downscale GCM output as climate drivers to predict snowfall for Aspen Ski Mountain and surrounding areas in the years 2030 and 2100. Ski conditions and hydrological responses for those years are shown and discussed.