An article in JAWRA, Journal of the American Water Resources Association, was reviewed by jfleck at inkstain, who reports that data point to declining precipitation in the West, although the authors warn that the 30-year time frame of measurements may be too short to be statistically meaningful. [right, Colorado River end. Credit USGS]
- 86% of 398 SNOTEL sites around the western United States show decreasing water year precipitation
- 87% of the 79 sites in the Colorado River Basin showed decreasing water year precipitation
Ref: TRENDS IN WESTERN U.S. SNOWPACK AND RELATED UPPER COLORADO RIVER BASIN STREAMFLOW, W. Paul Miller and Thomas C. Piechota
Article first published online: 23 JUN 2011, DOI: 10.1111/j.1752-1688.2011.00565.x