BACKSTORY

More than 700 SNOTEL telemetry stations —   run by the federal government — sit in high-mountain watersheds in 13 Western states, delivering vital data about water supply (“Taking water’s measure,” HCN, 6/13/16). Climate models using SNOTEL data predict a decline in Western snowpack, with earlier melting in spring – together increasing the risk of floods, droughts and severe wildfires.

FOLLOWUP

In December, University of Arizona researchers presented new on-the-ground findings supporting these predictions. Using SNOTEL data and other tools, the scientists laid out a grid of squares, 2.5 mile on a side…