It used to be that measuring the amount of snowpack and comparing that to historical levels would give you a pretty good indication of how the rivers would be flowing in the seasons ahead. “Oh, we’re at 120% of snowpack” was cause for optimism, while “Only 70% made you brace for low rivers with high temps and an active fire season.
In the age of climate change, that might not really matter anymore. Even with above average snowpack levels accumulated over the winter, the increasingly hot springs—particularly warmer nights that used to be below freezing—coupled with moisture more readily evaporating or being sponged up by the parched earth, often means that snowpacks are melting faster. What used to be a prolonged melt, with night stops when the temps stayed below freezing, is in many places (literally) an all day affair. That means more dramatic water surges, with shorter duration.
With that in mind…
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