‘On a whole other level’: rapid snow melt-off in American west stuns scientists

Nasa satellite images show how the snowpack in Utah has diminished between late February and late March. Illustration: Guardian Design/Nasa Worldview

Snow surveys taking place across the American west this week are offering a grim prognosis, after a historically warm winter and searing March temperatures left the critical snowpack at record-low levels across the region.

Experts warned that even as the heat begins to subside, the stunning pace of melt-off over the past month has left key basins in uncharted territory for the dry seasons ahead. Though there’s still potential for more snow in the forecast, experts said it will probably be too little too late.