Among the water resources most valuable to the Adirondacks and broader Northern Forest is our winter snow.  According to the most recent National Climate Assessment, winters have warmed 3 times faster than summers in recent years, with fewer cold extremes, particularly across northern portions of the Northeast.  Recent modeling projects a large reduction in the extent of insulating snowpack in Northeast forests in the coming decades, which means not only a decreased capacity for favored winter recreational pursuits like skiing and snowmobiling, but negative impacts for freshwater aquatic ecosystems sensitive to snowpack and timing of snowmelt.  Reduced snow cover may also impact the ability of forests to filter air and water and to sequester carbon.  The record represented in this scarf is from Wanakena, one of 3 stations in the Adirondacks which has shown a decreasing trend in snowfall, using data from the Northeast Regional Climate Center. 

More details available here on Ravelry.

By Michale Glennon