Colorado winters trending warmer as climate change affects averages and extremes – CBS News

Report on Climate Change Impacts on Colorado’s Winters and Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Introduction: Climate Change as a Direct Challenge to SDG 13 (Climate Action)

An analysis of meteorological data and expert commentary from Colorado State Climatologist Russ Schumacher indicates that climate change is fundamentally altering the state’s winter season. These changes represent a significant challenge to achieving SDG 13 (Climate Action), which calls for urgent measures to combat climate change and its impacts.

• The primary driver of these changes is the accumulation of atmospheric greenhouse gases, which trap heat and lead to a systemic increase in average and extreme temperatures.
• While seasonal variability remains high, the long-term statistical trend demonstrates a clear warming pattern, reshaping Colorado’s climate profile.

Key Meteorological Shifts and Their Implications

The observed changes in Colorado’s winter patterns have multifaceted consequences for the environment and society. Key shifts include:

1. Altered Precipitation Patterns: A notable increase in winter rainfall at lower elevations, where snowfall was previously the norm. This shift disrupts traditional seasonal cycles.
2. Compressed Snow Season: Warmer autumns and shorter durations of cold temperatures are leading to a more compressed period of snow accumulation and retention.
3. Persistent Variability: Despite a clear warming trend, the climate system continues to produce extreme weather events, including significant temperature fluctuations and shifts between heavy snowstorms and drought conditions.

Impact on Water Resources: A Threat to SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation)

The most critical impact of changing winters is on the state’s snowpack, which functions as a natural reservoir. This directly threatens the stability of water resources, a core component of SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation).

• Earlier Snowmelt: Rising temperatures are causing the mountain snowpack to melt earlier in the spring.
• Disrupted Water Availability: This temporal shift alters the timing of water availability for agricultural, municipal, and industrial use, creating resource management challenges.
• National Significance: As the source of major rivers, any change to Colorado’s snowpack has significant implications for water supply across the United States, undermining water security far beyond state borders.

Ecosystem and Community Risks: Undermining SDG 15 (Life on Land) and SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities)

The ripple effects of a warming winter climate extend to terrestrial ecosystems and human settlements, posing risks to SDG 15 (Life on Land) and SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities).

• Increased Wildfire Risk: Earlier snowmelt leaves soil and vegetation drier for longer periods, significantly increasing the risk and potential severity of wildfires throughout the year.
• Threats to Terrestrial Ecosystems: Heightened fire danger and altered water cycles threaten the health and stability of forests and other ecosystems, impacting biodiversity and the vital services they provide, directly conflicting with the objectives of SDG 15.
• Community Vulnerability: The combined threats of water scarcity and increased wildfire risk endanger the safety, infrastructure, and long-term viability of communities across Colorado, challenging the goal of making cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable under SDG 11.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 13: Climate Action: The entire article is centered on the impacts of climate change in Colorado. It discusses rising temperatures, the buildup of greenhouse gases, and the resulting shifts in weather patterns, which are the core concerns of SDG 13.
• SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation: The article explicitly links climate change to Colorado’s water supply. It highlights the critical role of mountain snowpack as a “natural water storage” and explains how changes in its melt pattern have “big implications for water resources and water supply,” which is a key focus of SDG 6.
• SDG 15: Life on Land: The article points out that earlier snowmelt leads to drier ground, which in turn “increases wildfire risk year-round.” Wildfires directly threaten terrestrial ecosystems, forests, and biodiversity, connecting the issue to the goals of protecting life on land as outlined in SDG 15.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

• Under SDG 13 (Climate Action):
  • Target 13.1: Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters in all countries. The article discusses the increasing risk of natural disasters like wildfires and the unpredictable “roller coasters from warm to cold,” highlighting the need for Colorado to adapt to these new climate realities.
• Under SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation):
  • Target 6.6: By 2020, protect and restore water-related ecosystems, including mountains, forests, wetlands, rivers, aquifers and lakes. The article’s focus on the changing snowpack, which it describes as “critical to that water supply,” directly relates to the health and function of mountain ecosystems, which are vital for water regulation.
• Under SDG 15 (Life on Land):
  • Target 15.3: By 2030, combat desertification, restore degraded land and soil, including land affected by…drought…and strive to achieve a land degradation-neutral world. The article mentions that an “earlier melt can leave the ground drier heading into summer,” which contributes to conditions similar to drought and increases the risk of land degradation through events like wildfires.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

• For SDG 13 (Climate Action):
  • Changes in average and extreme temperatures: The article states, “we should expect the temperature to go up as a result” of greenhouse gases and that climate involves “the averages, but also the extremes.” Tracking these temperature shifts is a direct indicator of climate change.
  • Changes in precipitation patterns: The observation of “rain instead of snow” during a February storm in Fort Collins is a specific, measurable indicator of changing winter conditions.
  • Length of the snow season: The climatologist’s observation that “the snow season’s getting compressed” serves as an indicator of seasonal shifts due to a warming climate.
• For SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation):
  • Timing of snowmelt: The article explicitly states that “The snow is melting earlier.” This is a critical indicator for assessing the health of the mountain water ecosystem and predicting water availability.
  • Volume and state of snowpack: The article refers to the snowpack as the “state’s natural water storage.” Its volume and the timing of its melt are key indicators of the availability of freshwater resources.
• For SDG 15 (Life on Land):
  • Wildfire risk level: The article directly links drier ground to an “increases wildfire risk year-round.” Monitoring and measuring this risk level, as well as the frequency and extent of actual wildfires, would be an indicator of the impact on terrestrial ecosystems.

4. Summary Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: cbsnews.com