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<br /> <br />Climate Change <br /> <br />Precipitation <br />California’s climate varies between wet and dry years. Research suggests that for much of the state, wet years will <br />become wetter and dry years will become drier. Dry years are also likely to be followed by dry years, increasing <br />the risk of drought. While it is not expected that California will see average annual precipitation changing <br />significantly in the next 50 to 75 years, precipitation will likely be delivered in more intense storms and within a <br />shorter wet season. Figure 17-3 displays the anticipated maximum daily precipitation amount for each year <br />through 2100. <br /> <br /> Figure 17-3. Maximum 1-Day Precipitation in San Mateo County <br /> <br /> <br />Temperature <br />Overall temperatures are projected to rise in California throughout this century. While the entire state will <br />experience temperature increases, local impacts will vary greatly, with many communities and ecosystems already <br />experiencing the effects of rising temperatures. Figure 17-4 displays the anticipated number of high-heat days <br />through 2100. <br /> <br />Snowpack <br />If heat-trapping emissions continue unabated, more precipitation will fall as rain instead of snow, and the snow <br />that does fall will melt earlier, reducing the Sierra Nevada spring snowpack by as much as 70 to 90 percent. How <br />much snowpack will be lost depends in part on future precipitation patterns, the projections for which remain <br />uncertain. <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />17-7