The Problem
Climate models project warmer, wetter winters and hotter, drier summers for our region through the end of the 21st century. The warming is projected to shift the timing, type, and intensity of precipitation — all of which have a trickle-down effect on snowpack, runoff, streamflow, groundwater, and other crucial components of the hydrologic cycle: Picture winters in the 2050s with less snow across our highlands and more flooding along our rivers. And while our summers might feel more Californian, such warmer and drier days will raise the risk of algal blooms, wildfires, disease outbreaks, heat illnesses, and other hazards.