Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
State climatologist warns shrinking snowpack will reduce summer water availability
Summary
Karen Bumbaco, deputy state climatologist, told the Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee that Washington has already lost roughly 25% of spring snowpack since 1950 and models show further declines (about 40–60% by century's end at higher elevations), shifting water storage and increasing late‑summer scarcity.
Karen Bumbaco, deputy state climatologist in the Office of the Washington State Climatologist, told the House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee on Jan. 24 that Washington has already warmed about 1.7°F over the last century and that spring snowpack in the Cascades has declined roughly 25% since mid‑20th century baselines. Bumbaco said continued warming will raise the rain–snow line, converting mid‑elevation seasonal snow to rain and reducing the state’s natural mountain storage.
She cited studies and the state’s Climate…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
