2.25.2008 3:38 PM

For a Change, West's Water Prospects Look Good

Heavy Snowpack Should Alleviate Drought and Tamp Down Wildfires

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Map showing depth of snow across the U.S.

This map shows depth of snow across the U.S., with shades of purple representing deeper snow.

Photo: NOHRSC / National Weather Service

By Dan Shapley

Heavy snow in the West should alleviate drought conditions and reduce the chance of wildfires early in the season, according to USA Today.

The West has been suffering through its worst drought in a century, and all the snow will not end the drought. But it will help.

In recent decades, the annual snowpack has been declining, as higher temperatures have an effect. The degree of snowpack each winter has big implications for the seasons ahead. As the snow melts, it feeds streams and fills reservoirs, determining whether there is water enough to go around for competing needs like drinking water, irrigation and salmon habitat. It also adds humidity to the air and moisture to vegetation, helping to remove one risk factor from the annual wildfire season.

Last year, when a near-record acreage burned, the season started early due to small, and in some cases record-low, snowpacks in the western mountains. The heaviest snowfall in 10 years has left nearly two times as much snow in some areas, according to USA Today. As long as temperatures don't warm up prematurely – a big if considering the lengthening of the growing season due to climate change – the West should be in for a rare year of abundant water.

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