Brief Communication: Early season snowpack loss and implications for oversnow vehicle recreation travel planning
Oversnow vehicle recreation contributes to rural economies but requires a minimum snow depth to mitigate negative impacts on the environment. Daily snow water equivalent (SWE) observations from weather stations in the Lake Tahoe region (western USA) and a SWE reanalysis product are used to estimate...
| Published in: | The Cryosphere |
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| Main Authors: | , |
| Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Copernicus Publications
2019
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-21-2019 https://www.the-cryosphere.net/13/21/2019/tc-13-21-2019.pdf https://doaj.org/article/447843c096114afbb969e2ed0b42031e |
| Summary: | Oversnow vehicle recreation contributes to rural economies but requires a minimum snow depth to mitigate negative impacts on the environment. Daily snow water equivalent (SWE) observations from weather stations in the Lake Tahoe region (western USA) and a SWE reanalysis product are used to estimate the onset dates of SWE corresponding to ∼30 cm in snow depth (SWEmin). Since 1985, median SWEmin onset has shifted later by approximately 2 weeks. Potential proximal causes of delayed onset are investigated; rainfall is increasing during October–January with dry days becoming warmer and more frequent. Adaptation strategies to address oversnow vehicle management challenges in recreation travel planning are explored. |
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