‘Creeping snow drought’: Canadian research shows less snowpack a concern

By Jeremy Simes New research shows less snowpack in certain regions of Canada can have wide-ranging effects on everything from farms and wildlife to the broader economy. The Concordia University study, published in the Nature journal “Communications Earth and Environment,” says the usable water from snowpacks has dropped sharply in areas of the Canadian Rockies. The mountainous region is the headwaters of major rivers in British Columbia and the Prairies, feeding communities and habitats. Ali Nazemi, an associate professor at the university and an author of the study, has called the finding “creeping snow drought,” which he says threatens Canada’s water supply. “You don’t really realize it up to the time that you are in the middle of a crisis,” Nazemi said in an interview. The researchers analyzed snowpack data…

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