Since 1970, the average spring temperatures in Reno, Nev., have risen by nearly 7 degrees – the most in the nation. Not far behind is Las Vegas, Nev., which has warmed 6 degrees during that span, according to a new analysis from Climate Central, a policy-neutral nonprofit.
Elsewhere in the Mountain West, several cities have warmed more than 3 degrees, including Albuquerque, N.M. (3.7 degrees); Boise, Idaho (3.4 degrees); Salt Lake City, Utah (3.4 degrees); and Colorado Springs, Colo. (3.1 degrees). Cheyenne, Wyo., has warmed 2 degrees.
Those numbers might not sound like big increases, but the trend is shriveling mountain snowpacks that supply water to farms and communities, said Kaitlyn Trudeau, a senior researcher at Climate Central…