"Living With Less Snow In The West"

"Among firs and cedars high in the Sierra Nevada, scientists are using an array of instruments to monitor the health of the forest, measure the snowpack and track the water that melts and seeps into the soil.

As they collect data, they’re taking snapshots of a landscape in the midst of major changes.

When Erin Stacy checked the instruments last month at one of the research stations she manages in the Sierra National Forest, her boots crunched through snow that blanketed meadows and lay in patches among the trees. But the snow was melting early near the end of a record-warm winter. And in the future, there’s likely to be much less snow, if any, on the ground here."

Ian James reports for the Palm Springs Desert Sun with photographs by Jay Calderon April 14, 2016, as part of the "Climate Change One Nation Palm Springs" series also reported by Sammy Roth.

SEE ALSO:

"Climate Change Far More Than An Environmental Issue" (Palm Springs Desert Sun)

"Why Fighting Climate Change Won't Destroy The Economy" (Palm Springs Desert Sun)

"The New Climate Rallying Cry: Keep It In The Ground" (Palm Springs Desert Sun)