Climate change in the Sierra Nevada: California’s water future

This report provides information on future projections of climate change and its impact in California's Sierra Nevada, including on its snowpack and subsequent water resources. The study employed hybrid downscaling, a combination of global climate models and downsclaing methods, to create future projections for the climate in the years 2041-2060 and 2081-2100. The study made future projections under two greenhouse gas scenarios of business as usual and climate mitigation.

California’s Sierra Nevada is a critical natural resource, providing more than 60% of the water used by communities, agriculture, and industry across the state. The mountain snowpack accounts for about half of this resource. It acts as a natural reservoir, holding water in frozen form until it gradually melts over spring and summer and flows into manmade reservoirs and conveyance systems. Historically, snowmelt and runoff have occurred when temperatures are hottest and crops are thirstiest.