The Seattle Times recently published an article stating that climate change, caused by human activities such as burning fossil fuels, has “in part” permanently altered the amount of snow the state of Washington will receive. According to the article, the snowfall will be replaced by rain. However, atmospheric science professor Cliff Mass from the University of Washington (UW) disagrees with this theory.
During an interview with The Jason Rantz Show on KTTH 770 AM, Mass explained that the depleted snowpack in the region is primarily due to the current El Niño winter conditions. El Niño causes the Pacific jet stream to move south and spread further east, resulting in wetter conditions in the Southern U.S. and warmer and drier conditions in the Northern U.S. Mass emphasized that this phenomenon is well-known and has nothing to do with climate change.
Mass criticized The Seattle Times for manipulating the data in their article. The piece claimed that the snowpack on the Olympic Peninsula is only 30% of normal levels, according to the latest data from the National Water and Climate Center, and that the snowpack has decreased by a third since 1955. Mass argued that the article cherry-picked the data by starting in a snowy period to exaggerate the reduction in snowpack.
The Seattle Times also mentioned that UW simulations predict the state’s snowpack could decrease by up to 70% by the mid-2080s. However, Mass dismissed these findings as unrealistic, stating that they are based on excessively high carbon emissions scenarios that are unlikely to occur.
Mass assured listeners that the amount of precipitation will actually increase under global warming, leading to more rain and water in local reservoirs. He pointed out that the City of Seattle’s water and reservoir levels are currently above normal. Mass also mentioned the possibility of above-normal snowpack in the future if La Niña weather patterns occur.
In conclusion, Mass disagreed with The Seattle Times’ claim that climate change is solely responsible for the decline in Washington’s snowpack. He believes that the current situation is primarily due to El Niño conditions, and that global warming will actually result in increased precipitation.
