ScienceDaily reports that according to new study:
global warming could lead to larger changes in snowmelt in the western United States than was previously thought, possibly increasing wildfire risk and creating new water management challenges for agriculture, ecosystems and urban populations.
They explain that if snow melts earlier or turns into rainfall, it can lead to an abundance of water for the reservoirs early in the year and not enough water later in the year. Warmer soil temperatures may also result in wildfires and cause “massive forest mortality.”
The areas they are most concerned about are the northern and central Rockies.