Brief Communication: Early season snowpack loss and implications for oversnow vehicle recreation travel planning

Abstract

Oversnow vehicle recreation contributes to rural economies but requires a minimum snow depth to mitigate negative impacts on the environment. Daily snow water equivalent (SWE) observations from weather stations in the Lake Tahoe region (western USA) and a SWE reanalysis product are used to estimate the onset dates of SWE corresponding to ∼ 30 cm in snow depth (SWE min ). Since 1985, median SWEmin onset has shifted later by approximately 2 weeks. Potential proximal causes of delayed onset are investigated; rainfall is increasing during October-January with dry days becoming warmer and more frequent. Adaptation strategies to address oversnow vehicle management challenges in recreation travel planning are explored.