'Watermelon snow' piques curiosities in Utah after abnormally wet winter

The changes in the magnitude and timing of the melting — the exposure of bare ground earlier in the season — can cause problems in the Mountain West, affecting ecosystems and species that rely on cool water downstream and reservoirs designed to accommodate more gradual snowmelt. In places like the Artic, glacier melt can cause sea level rise, threatening flooding on coastlines and in lakes.

“When we add light-absorbing particles that essentially darken the snow — like snow algae, black carbon or dust — it reduces its ability to reflect solar radiation,” said Alia Khan, a biogeochemist that studies glaciers at Western Washington University.