---
attributes: ~
caption: "Snow water equivalent (SWE) refers to the amount of water held in a\r\n    volume of snow, which depends on the density of the snow and other factors. Figure shows projected snow water equivalent for\r\n    the Southwest, as a percentage of 1971-2000, assuming continued increases in global emissions (A2 scenario). The size of bars\r\n    is in proportion to the amount of snow each state contributes to the regional total; thus, the bars for Arizona are much\r\n    smaller than those for Colorado, which contributes the most to region-wide snowpack. Declines in peak SWE are strongly\r\n    correlated with early timing of runoff and decreases in total runoff. For watersheds that depend on snowpack to provide\r\n    the majority of the annual runoff, such as in the Sierra Nevada and in the Upper Colorado and Upper Rio\r\n    Grande River Basins, lower SWE generally translates to reduced reservoir water storage. (Data from\r\n    Scripps Institution of Oceanography)."
chapter:
  description: ~
  display_name: 'Chapter 20: Southwest'
  doi: 10.7930/J08G8HMN
  identifier: southwest
  number: 20
  report_identifier: nca3
  sort_key: 200
  title: Southwest
  url: http://nca2014.globalchange.gov/report/regions/southwest
chapter_identifier: southwest
cited_by: []
contributors: []
create_dt: ~
description: "Snow water equivalent (SWE) refers to the amount of water held in a\r\n    volume of snow, which depends on the density of the snow and other factors. Figure shows projected snow water equivalent for\r\n    the Southwest, as a percentage of 1971-2000, assuming continued increases in global emissions (A2 scenario). The size of bars\r\n    is in proportion to the amount of snow each state contributes to the regional total; thus, the bars for Arizona are much\r\n    smaller than those for Colorado, which contributes the most to region-wide snowpack. Declines in peak SWE are strongly\r\n    correlated with early timing of runoff and decreases in total runoff. For watersheds that depend on snowpack to provide\r\n    the majority of the annual runoff, such as in the Sierra Nevada and in the Upper Colorado and Upper Rio\r\n    Grande River Basins, lower SWE generally translates to reduced reservoir water storage. (Data from\r\n    Scripps Institution of Oceanography)."
display_name: '20.2: Projected Snow Water Equivalent'
files:
  - display_name: SW_snow-water-equivalent_A2_B1__scenario_12446__V3.png
    file: 86/a0/1c1c0bf19033c9a2215629f76733/SW_snow-water-equivalent_A2_B1__scenario_12446__V3.png
    href: http://data.globalchange.gov/assets/86/a0/1c1c0bf19033c9a2215629f76733/SW_snow-water-equivalent_A2_B1__scenario_12446__V3.png
    identifier: c01abfe2-401c-4134-a5bf-abeb311fc59f
    landing_page: ~
    location: ~
    mime_type: image/png
    sha1: 2166ac302721790b69be3bed05fcf558c27a9627
    size: 39905
    thumbnail: 86/a0/1c1c0bf19033c9a2215629f76733/.thumb-c01abfe2-401c-4134-a5bf-abeb311fc59f.png
    thumbnail_href: http://data.globalchange.gov/assets/86/a0/1c1c0bf19033c9a2215629f76733/.thumb-c01abfe2-401c-4134-a5bf-abeb311fc59f.png
    type: file
    uri: /file/c01abfe2-401c-4134-a5bf-abeb311fc59f
    url: http://data.globalchange.gov/assets/86/a0/1c1c0bf19033c9a2215629f76733/SW_snow-water-equivalent_A2_B1__scenario_12446__V3.png
href: http://52.38.26.42:8080/report/nca3/chapter/southwest/figure/projected-snow-water-equivalent.yaml
identifier: projected-snow-water-equivalent
kindred_figures: []
lat_max: ~
lat_min: ~
lon_max: ~
lon_min: ~
ordinal: 2
parents: []
references: []
report:
  display_name: 'Climate Change Impacts in the United States: The Third National Climate Assessment'
report_identifier: nca3
source_citation: ~
submission_dt: ~
time_end: ~
time_start: ~
title: Projected Snow Water Equivalent
type: figure
uri: /report/nca3/chapter/southwest/figure/projected-snow-water-equivalent
url: http://nca2014.globalchange.gov/highlights/report-findings/water-supply/graphics/projected-snow-water-equivalent
usage_limits: Free to use with credit to the original figure source.